


Becoming Human

by musiclovesbest



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Angst, Gen, Mild Language, PTSD, Team Bonding, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-13 09:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 39,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2145375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musiclovesbest/pseuds/musiclovesbest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex Rider has been through hell and back, only to be sent right back to hell. After Jack dies there is no one left to hand Alex off to, and so he gets sent back to Brecon Beacon under MI6's care. If only things were so easy for Alex, then he wouldn't find himself kidnapped and up against someone who is planning to kill him. But since when is his life ever easy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Quick disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

_His arms burned and his shoulders felt as if they were going to dislocate at any moment. If he let go he would fall and die. The crocodiles snapped up at him, their sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight as if from some suspense movie, and it only made him more determined to keep his grip on the metal bar above his head, but there was only so long that his body would comply. The mad man stood on the platform above, laughing down at his helpless form._

_His fingers were slipping! The sweat from the heat of the jungle made it hard to keep hold of bar, no matter how hard he wanted too._

" _Aaggh…" He cried out as his fingers slipped, and he fell the 400 feet to the pit below. The crocodiles seemed to be smiling as he drew closer and closer, the mad man’s laughter ringing in his ears…_

Alex bolted up right, a cold sweat soaking his pajamas. He gasped for air, trying to calm himself before the panic attack could fully set in. He silently slipped out of his bed and to the small porch of the hut.

The cold air washed over him like a blanket, and his fatigue came back times ten. He slid down the outside wall, sitting on the damp wood beneath him. It had rained the day before and Alex wouldn’t be surprised if it rained again today, the dark clouds were already rolling in. 

The small burning in the back of his eyes warned him of the brimming tears. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his forehead on his knees. He let the tears fall and soon he was shaking, keeping the sobs that wanted to voice themselves silent. All the pent up emotions slowly washing over him, much like the waves of the ocean washed over the sand on a beach. Slowly, but none too gently, taking pieces of the beach with them as they left, just like the missions took pieces of Alex.

Jack had died, and there no one left to hand him off to. He had been sent back to Brecon Beacons. K-Unit still liked to make his life hell, and Fox was no longer there.  Bear had taken Ben’s place in K-Unit, and while he may have been silent toward Alex, he was just as harsh.

Alex’s vivid nightmares would wake him late at night, and it was almost impossible to go back to sleep afterwards. His bullet scar still pained him, especially after exerting himself for long periods of time, which was almost impossible to avoid. He refused to take the pain medication, no one in K-Unit even knew he had it, and that’s how he wanted to keep it. Alex knew that he wouldn’t have the meds with him out in the field, so he taught himself how to deal with the pain without them. He had nothing and no one. He was alone, at MI6's mercy.

It started to rain as the early hours of the morning crept into camp. He sat alone on the porch, lost in the abyss of his mind as others slept peacefully around him. He allowed the freezing drops to splatter across his clothes, dampening his hair, washing away his thoughts, until his mind was empty and he was numb. He had always found the rain helpful.

By the time he returned to the dry inside of K-Units bunk he was soaked and it was almost time for breakfast. He quickly changed into his day uniform, towel drying his hair.

Two minutes after he finished changing, Bear woke, the rest of the unit following suit. They dressed and it was relatively quiet, like most mornings. Wolf, Bear, and Snake wouldn’t function until they had coffee in their system. Eagle was like a young child in the morning, complaining when Snake woke him, but after breakfast he was usually alert and as happy as a SAS solider could get it. 

Alex sat on his bed watching everyone run about getting ready for yet another day in the rain.

Soon they were headed to the Mess Hall, Alex trailing behind, while K-Unit talked about something that Alex didn't particularly care about, a usual morning.

They got the breakfast mush and sat at their assigned table, K-Unit completely ignoring Alex, and instead turned to the unit beside them for some friendly chatter. Alex took a couple of bites before throwing out the mush, as usual, before heading outside, and as usual, no one cared.

But today something unusual was going to happen. The normal routine that had been built in the last few months was going to be shattered. The walls Alex had built around him as he came to see this horrid place as his new home would be torn down. And nothing would be the same for him, or his Unit. Everything that was usual would be thrown out the window, and it was all because of one unusual teenager named Alex Rider.


	2. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.

Alex kept to himself never giving any clues to who he was, what had happened to him, and why he was there. When the few soldiers that were curious asked, Alex refused to answer, ignoring them as they became more and more agitated at his silence. He continued on with his training, that was why he was there, to be a better soldier, not to tell his tragic backstory and be pitied. No one knew about the mystery that was Cub, not even K-Unit.

Right now K-Unit was at combat practice, the teacher walking around the room, watching each of them and offering words of advice on how to disable their enemy faster and more efficiently. Wolf and Bear were in a deadlock, neither one able to overpower the other, while Snake and Eagle cheered on at the edge of the mat. Alex sat off to the side, evaluating each person for mistakes or small advantages that might help him when it came to his turn. There was nothing new to find, he had been doing this almost a month, and soon he was up against Wolf.

This had ended the same way as it always did, and everyone doubted that anything new was going to happen.

It started. They circled, Wolf threw a fist, Alex blocked. This went on for about five minutes. Then Alex threw a punch or two, before pining Wolf to the ground. The same as yesterday, both walking away with little more than a bruised ego.

Only because Alex ended it quickly before his instincts could override the rest of his mind, including the logical part that told him he was safe here.  On the first day, Wolf had ended up with a couple bruised ribs, a bloody nose, and a sprained wrist. Alex had skipped the rest of K-Unit’s classes and exercises that day, opting to hide himself away in the nearby forest. He had come back that night with bruised and bloody knuckles, but no one mentioned it. They had all kept their distance since then, Wolf only throwing him a scowl every now and again, along with a few choice words, but it wasn’t very often, and it did not bother Alex any.

As soon as the fight was finished Alex left, heading to the bunk, for a quick calming exercise before his weapons lecture. It wasn’t something he necessarily needed to do, but it reassured him that he wouldn’t lose control.

Alex was little more than half-way to the bunk when he was attacked. It was in the middle of classes, and no one was around to help. He fought hard, his stamina at its peak, even though he was outnumbered he was doing a fair job of protecting himself, but even he knew there was only so long before he started to wear out. He only hoped to keep it going until the end of classes, when someone would be able to help him. It went on for ten minutes before one of the attackers were able to land a hit on him, right where the bullet wound still ached.

The pain blinded him and he felt his breath leave him in a gasp. He fell to the ground, landing on his hands and knees, trying to gain back his ability to breathe. Taking a shaky breath he pushed as much of the pain away as possible and stood back up. More had arrived.

Alex looked around, taking in his surrounding and what he knew about his attackers, forming a plan in his mind as things came back into focus.

He had been fighting for about 15 minutes now, in another 5 K-Unit should be heading out of combat practice to get Alex before heading to the lecture hall. If he could hold them off for that long he should make in out of this incident without too much harm. Even if K-Unit didn’t head this way, other soldiers would be getting out of their classes as well, someone was bound to see the commotion and come to his aid.

So he got back into the fight. The bullet wound still ached and his breathing was labored, but he was able to hold up. He had dealt with worse before. Some of the men had guns, but they weren’t using them. That meant they wanted him alive, but that didn’t guarantee his safety. Something could always go wrong, and with Alex it usually did.

"This would be a lot easier on all of us if you just came with us Rider."

"Why would I do that? I was told to never talk to strangers, and most definitely never get in a car with one." Alex had no clue who these people were and he didn't plan on becoming acquainted with them.

As another 5 minutes pasted more peopled joined, trying to get Alex to surrender, but as they came he took them out, he just didn’t understand where they were coming from, and _why are there so many?_

  _Another minute Alex, come on just one more minute, you can do it._ He felt like collapsing, and the pain from his scar was only getting worse as he exerted more and more energy into the fight. He saw one of the men pull out a gun just before it went off. The pain ripped through his thoughts and he fell back to the ground just as K-Unit rounded the corner.

Time seemed to stop as K-Unit stared at what was in front of them, before finally jumping in to help.

Black dots danced in his vision, the pain radiated from his foot and it was the only thing he was able to focus on as it pushed all other thoughts out of his mind. As Alex let the darkness consume him, pain and exhaustion teaming up on him, K-Unit was over taken, what seemed to be an army appeared from out of the forest, taking out anyone that tried to help them and tying the Unit up.

They were all thrown unceremoniously into a van, Alex being dropped in like a sack of potatoes, and soon they were off to where ever fate decided to take them to.

When the other solders woke from the attack, soaked in mud with pounding headaches and medics standing above them, K-unit and Alex would be far from Brecon Beacons with no clue about the hell they were about to be put through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly unrealistic expectations of Alex, but whatever. Also slightly poor strategy from the enemy, but once again whatever, they are under my command. Got a problem with it, let me know if there is any way I can fix it and make it seem slightly more realistic, while still keeping to the same type of fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything you recognize.

Everything hurt. His head, his arms, his legs, and especially his foot. Everything was coming back to him, slowly and in a blur, but it was coming back to him, including the pain.

He had been attacked, K-unit had come to his aid, only a little to late, and they had all ended up inside a hot stuffy van, heading wherever the enemy pleased. They hit a bump every fifteen seconds only adding to Alex's headache as his head bounced off the floor of the van every time.

He tried using his other senses to take in what was around him. The van was loud as it drove, but inside it was silent, only the sounds of multiple people breathing could be heard if you listened carefully. His hands were bound, as where his ankles, so they weren’t taking any chances with him. He took the risk of opening his eyes, needing to know who else was with him.  

Wolf, Eagle, and Snake were all sat against the opposite wall, while Alex was laid on the floor. They were all still unconscious.

Bear was the only one missing.  _Maybe he ran for help instead of joining the fight._

Alex laid there in his thoughts, not wishing to alert man who had been placed to watch them, that he was awake. Looking around he saw multiple things, but what caught his eye was the scorpion emblazed on the wall. He should have guessed. While Alex had made many great enemies as a spy, he was sure none of them hated him as much as Scorpia did. After all he had brought down their entire operation at only fourteen.

It was only a few minutes longer before Snake woke, groaning softly. Now that Alex looked closer he could see a large bruise forming near his temple, the bluish purple starting to color the skin near his scalp. Snake gently opened his eyes, unsure of how bright it would be, and repeated all the actions Alex had, counting heads, looking around to see where they were, and taking in his surroundings.

The only difference between Alex and Snake’s actions was that Snake had moved around a lot more, alerting their guard in the process.

"Ahh…look who's up. Have a nice nap sleeping beauty?" The man that sat facing them wore an eye patch on his right eye and a scar went across his left, leaving it slightly puffy and squinted. Alex decided to call him Messy, for his messy face, along with his clothes that looked to be almost a weeks old and worn out.

Snake glared up at Messy, only causing the gross man to laugh. Alex decided now would be as good as ever to 'wake up' and made a show of doing so. Groaning loudly, he sat up, leaning against the side of the van to help keep him stable. Messy stopped laughing and looked at him.

"Nice to see that you’re awake, don't go and try anything Rider, you’re tied up nice and tight and we got plenty of punishments for you where we're heading." He laughed again, as if watching Alex Rider being tortured would be the greatest entertainment the world could offer.

"Do you always laugh from your own stupid jokes? It's really annoying, just to let you know. It’s also kind of narcissistic." Messy stopped laughing almost immediately, turning to glare at the boy as Snake looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Rider, you know those witty comments won't be tolerated at the institute."

"I'm sure I'll make it." Alex lips twitched, but he didn't let himself fully smile, not yet anyway. As messed up as it was Alex enjoyed messing with the enemy. It usually caused them to slip up, and if they didn’t then Alex took at least some pleasure knowing he could get under their skin. Well, until they took pleasure in beating him for said comments, then it just became painful. That was around the time Alex shut his mouth. He may have been the youngest spy in the world, but that didn’t make him stupid, he knew when to quit.

"Just you wait Rider. You've got it coming, and it won't be pretty." At this Messy smiled turning his back and looking to the front of the van.

Wolf and Eagle had awakened during this ‘fight of wits’ as one may wish to call it. They all shared a similar look, as if Alex belonged in an institute for the insane.

And maybe he did, but Alex just shrugged before leaning his head back against the side of the van, taking some deep breaths to calm himself before they arrived at whatever hellhole they were headed to.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry to anyone paying attention to this story. I just started college and life has been a little bit more hectic then what it use to be. Now that I have my schedule sorted and know what my weeks look like updating may come a little bit more quicker then what it was this past week or two. So sorry, but enjoy.

Another hour passed before the van finally came to a stop. The men up front got out, and it took a few minutes before they came around to gather their captives. The door opened and they were roughly grabbed, and pulled out of the van. The sunlight blinded them and Alex fought the urge to sneeze, before they were pushed through a door that lead them into darkness. The door closed behind them with a loud bang.

They followed a corridor that keep twisting and turning. Alex, trying to keep track of which way they were going, became lost and confused after, the third right turn. No matter how hard Alex looked he couldn't find anything that would help him find his way if he ever got the chance to escape. The pain of his foot as they forced him to walk made it hard to stay focused and he eventually gave up. He instead invested more energy into trying to keep upright and not stumble over his own feet. More twist and turns and they came to a big metal door, beyond the door they followed more corridors. After a few more left and right turns and after what felt like an eternity they finally came to yet another door that lead into a large caged area.  Several cages were nestled into one large cage. In order to get to a smaller cage you would have to enter the larger one before making your way to the door of a smaller one.

Wolf, Snake, and Eagle were shoved into three separate smaller cages, while Alex was left in the large middle area. Cages were lined along the wall like a prison and he was the warden, only most wardens don’t get caged into an area themselves.

"I hope you enjoy your sty at hotel non-escapable" sneered Messy.                                                      

"I hope you enjoy you enjoy your stay in hell, after I kill you" Alex returned, nothing showing on his face. It almost looked as if he was having a friendly conversation with one of his friends, if it weren’t for the venom that dripped from his words.

After giving them one last dark look, Messy turned on his heel, and closed the door behind him a bang.

Sighing Alex leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down it, till he was sitting on the dirty floor. His head pounded as it laid against the concrete wall behind him. Pain radiated up his leg as his foot throbbed a continuous reminder of the bullet in his foot. The adrenaline was starting wearing off, bringing forth all his injures and the pain that came with them.

Reaching down he undid the boot laces on his left foot.  Very gingerly he pulled off his boot, hiding as much of his pain as he could, stopping for a moment or two when the material rubbed against his injured foot in the wrong way. After what seemed like forever the shoe was finally off.

Luckily the SAS issued boot had slightly slowed the bullet down, making it so it didn't go as deep as it could have. It was still pretty deep so he had no chance of getting it out here, but he had to wrap it up so that if it started bleeding again something would help stop it, hopefully it would help slow any infection that may set in as well.

"Anyone got a strip of cloth?" Alex looked up to see everyone staring at him.

"Here you go, Alex" Someone in one of the cages behind Alex threw a piece of cloth in-between the bars where it landed next to Alex on the floor.

"Thanks, do I know you, or are you just another person that knows me due to my status?" Alex asked as he peeled his sock off and wrapped the cloth tightly around his foot, insuring it wouldn’t fall off. He pulled his boot back on, and while it may have hurt, he knew he was better off with the boot on then off. Not only would it keep the foot stable, but it would also help prevent infection better than just having the cloth wrapped around it.

The man laughed before answering Alex, "No we worked together once. Don't tell me you don't remember!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood for guessing games," Alex suddenly stood up, using the wall for support as he adjusted to the pain shooting up his leg.

"Umm…Cub I suggest you don't walk, right now. You could damage your foot even more, potentially move the bullet around that could cause more harm." Snake finally spook up after watching Alex walk over to the door of the cage with a slight limp. As the medic in the Unit he would be the one to worry about the wound.

Alex gave a humorless chuckle. "Don't worry Snake, I'll be fine." Alex leaned his hand out between the bars only to quickly bring it back in as a small shock of electricity travelled up his arm. Alex cursed before mumbling under his breath "Should have heard it."

"Yeah sorry should have warned you about that," The hidden man said apologetically.

"Would you please identify yourself, I'm tired of talking to a dark shadow." It came out more hostile than what was intended, but Alex found he got his point across as the man slowly came out from the corner of his cell.

"Ahh…Ben I should have guessed; only you would try and joke around in this type of situation." Alex showed no sign of emotion, his face was blank like always, all though inside he was happy to have someone he trusted and knew here to help him. He turned back around looking for cameras, he saw a few but he had no chance of getting to them.

And just like that the spell was broken. "Wait, cub how do you know Fox's real name?" Eagle was the first to voice what the others were thinking.

"Long story short, we worked together." Alex replied blankly.

"Oh come on Cub you got to give us more than that," The whine in Snakes voice did not go undetected by Alex. Snake, who was a full grown SAS solider, who had been though some of the hardest training in the world.

"No I don't, actually." Alex slowly limped back over to the wall, and once again slid down until he was sitting on the grimy floor.

"You know Cub, we've been working together for a while now, and we know nothing about you. Seeing as we aren't going anywhere any time soon, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Wolf never asked questions, it was an order.

"I have no family and I’m training with the SAS. Anything else?” Alex was bored, he had been captured before, and he always hated waiting to see what was coming next. _Why do they always make you wait?_

"Cub, I swear if you don't…" That's as far as Wolf got before Alex cut him off.

"You know, Wolf, it's not good to swear, especially around a teenager."  _Why not have a little fun,_  Alex thought. He had always been good with sarcasm, and now that there were bars restraining Wolf from killing him, he could let lose.

"I don't give a fuck weather or not it’s good to swear Cub, we want some bloody answers and you’re going to give them, even if I have to wring them out of you." Wolf was growling, giving Alex his all to famous death glare.

"Come now Wolf I thought we had learned that your silly little glare doesn't scare me. And I'm sorry to disappoint you but we are currently separated by bars, so there will be no question and answers session tonight." This was all said with a straight face, nothing showed, his mask was always in place.

Ben was quietly laughing from his cell. "What are you laughing at Fox?" Snake asked his voice a little shaky. He was obviously affected by Wolf’s glare, even when it wasn't directed towards him.

"I'm laughing at the fact that Wolf can be so easily affected by a fourteen year old." Wolf directed his glare towards Ben which only caused him laugh harder. "Please Wolf in my new line of work, there have been scarier dogs."

Alex couldn't help it. His mask cracked, he had smirked. Suddenly all eyes were on him and the only sound that could be heard was Ben's quiet chuckles. "What?" his smile left as quickly as it came.

"Nothing, just… we’ve never seen you smile." Eagle sound like he was in awe "How'd you do it Fox?"

The attention was suddenly shifted over to Fox. "How'd I do what?" He asked completely confused. He had been laughing too hard to pay attention to what had happened.

_That's a bad fault to have. Anything could have happened when he was laughing; he needs to pay more attention to what's going on around him, no matter what he's doing._ This was another side effect from his SCORPIA training. He was always able to pick out the smallest faults in people, including himself. But want all bad, as it could help in a fight for your life.

"Ben you need to pay attention better." He wanted to help him; he didn't want Ben to die in action.

"What are you talking about?" he was obviously confused on what Alex was talking about, as he and Eagle had been talking when Alex had suddenly said this.

"No matter what you’re doing, even if you’re performing surgery, you need to pay attention to everything around you. It could be the difference between life and death in the field."

Everyone was staring at Alex again.

"What?" He was becoming annoyed with all the attention.

"And you would know this, how?" Wolf asked coldly.

"That is something you aren't going to find out anytime soon." And with that Alex leaned his head back against the wall. He had a feeling things were only going to head downhill from here. "I suggest you all go to sleep, we don't know how long we have until they come back for us." He heard a mumbled 'yeah' and 'true' before everyone was quiet. It wasn't long before he heard the loud snoring from Wolf, the gurgling from Eagle, and the shifting from Snake. Looking over he saw Ben, who was asleep as well. The only one missing was Bear.

Not long after Alex too feel into a restless sleep.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything you recognize.

His nightmares were worse than normal. Those that he had known swam in his vision as he fought off all those who had tried to destroy the world one way or another. He was outnumbered and outmatched. He was distracted as his vision swam with tears, those he loved blaming him for their untimely deaths. When Alex calmed down enough to think it through he found it wasn’t surprising, his surroundings only gave fuel to the nightmares. He was lucky enough to the be the first to wake, giving himself time to collect his thoughts.

When the others woke up Alex was sitting up against the dirty wall, giving the door a look that could kill, even Wolf's well known stare was nothing compared to the teenagers’.

"Hey Cub, do you think you could tone down the glare? I think you’re going to make Wolf piss himself." The separate prison cells made it impossible for Wolf to kill Eagle at that moment, but he did give him his, now not-so-impressive-but-still-slightly-scary, glare.

Alex was knocked out of his thoughts when the door was suddenly pushed open and about four guards walked in, all carrying guns, a tall man in a tailored suit walked in behind them.

The man wasn't someone that looked like he would be doing some type of evil deed, but then Alex had seen them all. He wasn't surprised, after the many people he had dealt with he knew looks could be more than just deceiving. The man had a messy, yet clean, head of hair that almost blindingly blonde. He looked as if he was in his mid-twenties, still quite young to be trying to take over the world.

But then again, Alex was still quite young to be saving the very same world that people planned to take over.

"So this is the infamous Alex Rider. You know you’re very famous in the criminal world, and why wouldn't you be? Seeing as you brought down a whole branch of Scorpia. Alone."

"You don't belong to SCORPIA. They made a deal. I was to be left alone."

"You’re very observant aren't you?" The man chuckled before continuing "Let me introduce myself, I'm Josh. I'm the one in charge around here. Whatever someone does it's because I said so. If you behave than I might just let you off easy."

"What do you want?" Alex was bored, he was to use to this routine. They always seemed to skirt around what they actually wanted, waiting until the last moment to reveal some all mighty plan that would never be foiled. Only to find themselves lost when Alex miraculously defeated them.

"It's not what _I_ want, because I've already got what I want. SCORPIA paid good money to have you destroyed. They didn't care how, as long as you were gone and they weren't suspected."

"So why did you drag the others into this?" If they wanted him dead, then how come K-Unit and Ben were here?

"Well the other men were just for fun, but your other little pal over there had been sent in to investigate us. We had no choice but that doesn't matter, it just means we get to have more things to play with." His smile after the statement would have made anyone run and cry, but Alex had seen it so many times that it looked almost normal.

"Just let them go, than you can do whatever you want to me." His voice was calm but inside Alex was worried. If they stayed he had less of a chance of escaping, he would have to worry about four other people, this brought another question to his mind "Where's Bear?"

This caught K-Units attention, they had forgotten about Bear, thinking that he had got away but now their fears were pushed to the forefront of their mind.

"That is something you will find out yourself, sooner or later. Grab the Scottish one." The soldiers immediately did as told.

Snake pushed himself against the wall without thinking, just knowing that nothing good was going to come out of this. The men opened the main cage door; two of the men going to Alex and tying him up before dropping him back to the ground when they were done. They weren't taking any chances apparently. They continued on to Snake's cell, throwing open the door just as violently as when they had first walked in. After tying him up in a similar fashion as Alex, they dragged him out of the cells; leaving Alex tied on the floor.

Before they took their leave one of the men came back in to the cage, a needle in hand. He headed to Alex, the silver needle glinting dangerously in the dim light. Alex struggled to push away but was unable to get very far. The needle pieced his skin with a pinch and the man pushed down on the plunger, forcing whatever liquid that was inside into Alex’s blood stream.

“What did you put in me?” He looked up, masking the horror he felt as the man with the needle left.

“Do not fret Alex; it is only a small dose of sleep medicine. It should take effect in about fifteen minutes. Just a little extra something to ensure that you are kept secure. You should pass out into dream land not to long after we leave. We will be going now, but trust me Rider, you will see us soon. Don't get yourself into trouble while we're gone." He chuckled at his joke before leaving the room, the guards following behind, dragging a helpless Snake. The door slammed behind them.

"What does he mean by ‘bringing down a whole branch of SCORPIA,’ Cub?" Wolf growled, he hated being in the dark, especially when it came to his own team members.

"That, Wolf, is classified."

"Alex, honestly. We are trapped with no current way of getting out, classified doesn't really matter at this point." _Traitor_ , Alex couldn’t help the thought. He had thought that Ben of all people would understand, but apparently he was just as curious as the other.

"Even if it wasn't classified what makes you think I'm going to tell you?" Alex fought to keep his face devoid of emotions as memories flashed through his mind. He could help the blinding anger he felt at the cruelty of the world.

"Come on Cub, there's nothing else to do, just tell us." The whine in Eagle’s voice only served to irritate Alex.

"You want something to do? Why don't you try to figure out a way out of here Eagle? Now stop whining, I don't even do that, and I’m the teenager here." Alex gave up on his fight to sit vertical, he was trapped in the middle of the cell with his hands and elbows tied behind his back in a painful position. His ankles, knees, and thighs were tied together just as tightly.

"Cub there is no way out. I've had training for this kind of situation and they’ve put up every kind of precaution to keep us in here." For the first, and most likely last time, in his life Wolf sounded helpless.

"Be creative, I've been in worse." Alex regretted his words as soon as they left his lips, for no sooner has he finished the sentence then Eagle begin to question him again.

After ten minutes of Eagle babbling on about God only knew what, Alex broke. "WILL YOU SHUT UP?" he screamed his anger showing in his words, his eyes were screwed shut as his head pounded. Eagle seemed to get the message and was relatively quiet after that. If Alex hands weren't tied behind his back he would have been rubbing his temples. The longer they were in here the worse his head seemed to be getting, and it wasn’t from being knocked unconscious.

That sat in silence for a long time after that, all of them shut away in their own minds. Of course it was Eagle who broke the silence trying once again to drag answers out of Alex. Wolf and Ben both seemed to understand that Alex would not tolerate it much longer though and both turned to glare at man. Eagle resigned with a huff and retreated into the dark corner of his cell.

"You okay Alex?"

"Oh yes, Ben I'm wonderful, how about yourself?" Alex knew Ben was only trying to be kind but Alex was in a foul mood and didn't feel like talking. Ben didn’t say a word, but instead turned to talk to Wolf about how he and K-Unit had been.

The day’s events seemed to catch up with Alex all at once and he found himself fighting the effects of whatever drugs ‘Josh’ put in his system, but it seemed to be no use and he found himself slowly drifting off to another world. A world where dreams were non-existent but nightmare ruled.

_The room was dark, if it was even a room. A single beam of light was directed at Alex, making him the only visible thing. It was almost cliché, just like every nightmare that people see on television or read in books._

_Suddenly several other lights came on, each illuminating a figure of their own. Directly ahead of Alex stood Jack, tears streaming down her soft, round face, her brilliant red hair dull and dirty. ‘Why Alex? It you had stopped I would still be alive.” Alex found himself crying as he desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Forgiveness that she refused to give, instead damning him to hell._

A sudden shifting drew Wolf, Eagle, and Ben's attention to the boy in the middle cell. Alex had fallen into a restless sleep ten minutes ago. Only had Ben had been keeping a careful eye on him, Wolf and Eagle too busy arguing over something that had happened at camp after Ben had left. Alex sudden movement had drawn their attention though. While they were not the most mature soldiers, they were highly trained.

They were quiet as they watched the boy before them sleep. The boy that acted nothing like a boy, and instead more like a war veteran.

"He looks kinda peaceful when he's asleep." But as soon as those words had left Eagles mouth Alex face contoured into one of distress, tears falling out of his closed eyes as he tried to pull into himself. Eagle and Wolf were concerned as he had never showed any type of emotion in front them, let alone cry in front of them.

"Does he usually act like this when he's asleep?" Ben didn't bother trying to mask the panic in his voice.

"I don't know," Wolf never pained attention to the way his unit slept. All he knew was they were all heavy sleepers, well except for Cub; he didn't know a thing about him. "He's always the last one to fall asleep. I don't know what he’s like when he sleeps, all I know is he's the last one to go to sleep and the first one up. No one is ever awake when he’s asleep, and he’s never asleep when someone is awake."

A quiet mumbling suddenly caught Ben’s attention. He signaled for Wolf and Eagle to be quiet as he tried to catch what Alex was saying, but all he was able to hear 'no' and 'Jack,’ everything else was incoherent whispers.

 "Who's Jack?" Eagle asked.

"I think it's his house keeper, he mentioned her once in passing." Ben was studying Alex carefully, wishing to wake him, but he had no way to reach him. The nightmare was getting worse, he was talking slightly louder, and the tears were coming faster. His breathing speed up and a thin sheen of sweat coated his brow. If he hadn’t been tied up he would be thrashing, but all he was doing was cutting into his skin.

"What should we do?" Eagle was beginning to worry. He’d never seen anyone in the midst of a nightmare, and it was slightly terrifying.

"I don't know, we have no way to wake him up, even then I’m not sure it would be a good idea anyway. I guess we'll just have to hope it doesn't get any worse." It was at that moment it got worse, much worse, because suddenly Alex was screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick little side note, I kind of just made up some medicine thingy so, yeah. Most of the fics I read have the characters falling asleep almost immediately after it’s administered. I didn't want this so I went with a very vague thingy and such, also you can pretend the drug made Alex’s nightmares worse, or that it some other source, ‘cause I know he probably doesn't actually scream in his sleep. I am using my creative license okay! I know nothing about drugs, besides that they can seriously mess with you if used as recreation. So don’t do drugs kids.


	6. Chapter 6

****

_The pain was unbearable, and there was no way to escape. He was tied to a pole, in the same fashion a witch may have been. The flames licked up all around him, the only thing that Alex could make out amongst the flames, was Jack. Her face was charred, but all her features could still be clearly made out against the black ash and burning skin. It was a grotesque scene as her eyes bore into Alex’s brown ones. She stood unaffected by the flames around her,  staring at Alex, as he cried out in pain, pleading for her to make it stop. Pleading for her forgiveness._

_‘Why should I stop? This is what you did to me. You let me burn. You deserve to feel the pain I felt. You deserve all of it.’ She sneered at Alex, her face morphing as she did so, the sneer turning into a smile that Alex knew did not belong to her, but to another that had died because of him and his actions._

_It belonged to one Yassen Gregorovich._

_Jack was no longer in front of him, now Yassen’s lethal frame stood among the flame as he laughed. Alex’s pleads feel on deaf ears. The pain was becoming too intense as it became hard to breath. His throat was dry, from the heat of the flames that surrounded him, and sore as he screamed at those in front of him for forgiveness, and soon it was to hard for him to continue as his energy died away._

_Tears streamed down his cheeks, marking their paths on the burnt, ashy, skin. Yassen only laughed as Jack joined him. Others that had died because of Alex were fast appearing, and even those that were still alive. Tom and Sabina didn’t belong here, and yet they stood in front of Alex, laughing at his pain._

_But then things changed. The fire seemed to calm to a warm crackle. As the fire died, the people in it did as well, disappearing into the darkness, leaving no trace they had been there. The ropes holding him up unwound and he dropped to his hands and knees. Soft grass that had not been there before, cushioned his fall. The darkness that no light could penetrate lifted, a new darkness appearing, one that held stars in the sky and allowed just a sliver of the milk way to be seen. The moon hung high in the sky, a crescent that casted enough light to allow pedestrians to find their way home, but not enough to ruin the stars.  Just as suddenly as the fire had appeared it had been replace. He lay in the park that was not far from his old home in Chelsea. He was not alone, as friendly faces joined him. Ben lay closest singing softly; Tom laid to his other side telling tales that had never happened to a giggling Sabina._

_It was a different kind of dream, but it was a dream that he could deal with. Since MI6 had been in his life all Alex knew was nightmares. This dream was something he had not been presented with in a long time._

_And so Alex laid back, enjoying the soft whispers of the people around him and the gentle breeze of the wind against his warm skin. It would not last long, but Alex intended to take it in for as long as he was granted this one peace._

~Line Break~

Snake had come back bloody and battered. They had thrown him on the ground of Alex’s cell as gracefully as one threw out the trash. The others were released from their own cells, allowing them time to assess the damage that had been done to their team member.

Wolf went into leader mode the moment the door to the room closed. “Fox, take care of Cub. Untie him and get him to calm down before he does any serious damage to himself. Eagle, you and I need to take care of Snake…” He continued telling Eagle what needed to be done first and how to do it with such limited supplies.

Ben went to Alex. The boy had only screamed once in his dream, after that it had become whimpers and small cries.

Being a spy himself Ben knew the bad outcome that would no doubt happen if he tried to wake Alex in the mist of the nightmare. He held no doubt that the boy could pin him down, and so he tried to calm him before untying him.

Loosening the bonds enough so that he would no longer be in pain, but keeping them on so that if he was suddenly woken he would not kill Ben. He pulled the boy close, laying Alex’s head on his lap. Running his hand through the blonde locks Ben whispered the same thing any parent or caregiver would tell their child. Softly hushing him, telling him it was okay, that he was safe and no harm would come to him.

Slowly, Alex began to relax. The tears leaking from closed eyes slowed and came to a stop. Ben continued carding his fingers through Alex’s hair as he softly sang the same lullaby’s his mother sang to him as a child.

When Alex had fully succumbed to relaxation, Ben removed the last of the rope that held him. His arms were red, his wrists bleeding slightly, as he had struggled against the bonds in the mist of his nightmare.

When his hands were free, Alex seemed to find comfort as he gripped Ben’s shirt loosely. It was a small reassurance that his subconscious needed that whoever had brought this peace was not going to leave. Ben was not going to take away what looked to be a peaceful sleep from someone who looked as if they had not slept in years. He sat against the wall, softly humming, continuing to move his fingers through the fair hair as Alex slept.  The drug that Josh had given him was bound to wear of sometime soon, and all they could do was wait it out.

When Snake had been brought back the guards had said that he had gotten off easy.

Well if that was easy Eagle was afraid to know what hard looked like.

Small cuts marred his skin as bruises decorated it in varying shades of blue, black, and purple. His left eye looked to be swelling and Eagle only hoped it would stop before Snake couldn’t open it. It seemed that there were no broken bones, but the dark bruise that stretched across Snakes abdomen worried the man. Was it normal for bruises to become that dark, that quick?

After Wolf and Eagle had done all they could for Snake, they joined Ben against the wall. Wolf leaned his head back, closing his eyes in the hopes of warning off the growing headache. Eagle opted for a more childlike position, bringing his knees up in front of him, wrapping his arms around his knees and resting his head on top of them. Snake was still as he lay on the stone floor. The only sound in the cell block was the quiet humming of Ben as he kept a hold of Alex. As two of the five lay in dream land, the other three drifted in their own minds in hopes of passing the time as they waited for their other team members to awake.

Because as much as Wolf would have hated to say it, that was what he was now. After seeing the kid almost killed himself at Point Blanc, and then knowing he had completed another mission with Ben, Alex  had earned his respect. Even if he had been cold to him when he came back to Brecon Beacons. Wolf still didn’t understand his decision to hate the kid when he returned, but there was no turning back. The decision had been made and the harm had been done. Wolf only hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to the kid.

It took a while but Snake was the first to wake with a groan. Slowly sitting up he rubbed his head as the ache within it gradually grew. He felt the sting of small cuts, and opening his left eye proved to be a bit harder than normal. He knew he probably looked worse than he felt, but he didn’t care enough to take in the damage that had been done.

He closed his eyes against the dim florescent lights, scooting back against the wall, joining the other men that sat there closely watching their comrade. Rubbing his temples he fought to remember what had been so important to tell the team moments before he had passed out. He remembered the room, the guards that stood in front of the door, the cold metal chair he had been forced to sit in as they asked random question after random question. Then there was the man that had been asking the questions. The big stature that had seemed so familiar, but hadn’t clicked until the man had stepped out of the shadows and into the light. The man that Snake had once called a team member, a comrade.

"Guys, Bear is on their side. He's the one who interrogated me. That's why he was missing for so long. He works for them!" Snakes voice was soft, but serious. He had trusted Bear with his life, but it made sense. “That’s was why he always seemed so closed off and cold to us. He had never been a friend or a team member. He was… he _is_ a traitor."

"Who’s Bear? Is he the guy that took my spot when I left? What does the SAS not do background checks anymore?"  How could they have been so careless? It was a tough program and the fact that they hadn’t thought to do a background check on a man that would eventually work for queen and county was reckless. If they had been in a cartoon he would have steam coming out his ears.

Wolf had joined him in his anger, "What the bloody…" his voice was loud and booming as went to start his rant, but the team cut him off before he could even start.  They sent pointed looks at Alex, who was finally sleeping peacefully. Even Snake, who had been absent during the worst of the nightmare sent him a pointed look. As medic of the group he knew the kid was sleep deprived. It was hard to miss the large dark bags under the young boy’s eyes. 

Wolf sat back, clenching and unclenching his hands in his signature tell of anger. Eagle took the time to fill Snake in on what he had missed while he was gone. "Cub was screaming bloody murder in his sleep. I’ve never heard him yell out in pain, let alone scream. What was really scary was when he started crying! He always has on that blank emotion face. "

"I want to know what the hell happened to him that could have caused such a nightmare. Even children don’t get nightmares that bad without _some_ type of past trauma." Wolf had calmed enough to speak in at a normal volume.

"Don't we all." Eagle replied looking at the sleeping teenager. It was still something extraordinary, as none of them had ever seen the boy sleep before.

Ben looked down at Alex again, he still had a loose hold of Ben's shirt but the man didn’t mind. Alex and he had developed a bond working together. Ben knew that he knew more about Alex than any of the others currently in the room. He felt that it was a great privilege, a privilege he was not going to extort. He was not going to lose Alex’s trust by revealing any details he may not want the other men to know.

They all returned to their thoughts. Thoughts that held one similar variable. Cub and his past. Thoughts that mostly held worry about what may have happened to the boy that was physically so young, but mentally older than most of those in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So going through and editing this chapter physically hurt me. I wrote this back in 2012 maybe and my writing has come such a long way, and I’m actually proud.  
> But seriously it physically pained me to try and reread this. I basically rewrote the whole chapter from scratch. How did people read this before? I applaud them, because even I wouldn’t have read it.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been quiet for only half an hour before the door was thrown open once again, startling the four men out of their thoughts. Josh’s guards came marching in, followed closely by the man himself.

"I see that the shot I gave Alex is working nicely. Put them back in their cells but bring Rider." The guards quickly complied with what he said, wrestling Wolf, Eagle, and Snake back into their cells before ripping Alex away from Ben and throwing him back in his cell as well. The dragged Alex away, as if he matter little more than dog shit. "Don't worry, he’ll be back. I won't promise that he'll be in good shape though." The door shut as his laughter rang in their ears.

Wolf broke the silence with a whispered "Shit," before getting   up from the floor and pacing his cell.

"The kids dead." Eagle whispered.

"Have some faith in him guys, he's been through a lot. I’m sure he'll make it through this. He'll be scared that's for sure and in more ways than one, but he'll make." Ben didn't know everything about the kid but from the haunted look in his eyes and the mask he kept in place of his emotions, he could tell that he had already been through a lot. His nightmare and the way he was able to easily bandage his own foot before get back on it in less than a minute told him he had been injured more than a kid his age should have been, and Ben had a feeling those injuries were no accidents.

It didn’t take long before Snake lost his patience with Wolf’s pacing and quickly told him to stop before he found a way to reach through the cells and kick his arse. Wolf compiled and fell back to the floor, losing himself in his thoughts once again.

It didn’t take long before he opened his mouth again, this time with a valuable question “Why is Cub being tortured? And why has he been so obviously tortured in the past? He's only fourteen! What could he have possibly done that would provoke someone to torture him to the point of vivid nightmares?"

"Once again Wolf, I wish I knew. Sadly Cub doesn't trust us enough to tell us anything about himself." Snake shook his head. He was a strong believer in the ‘if you talk about it, you will feel better’ method of things, but it was quite obvious Alex was not. No one had even tried before now, but Alex made it clear that he was not willing to talk about anything in his personal life, including anything that may or may not have been life threatening.

"Can you really blame him? We treated him like crap the first time we meet him. When he came back, we completely ignored him. We haven’t’ done anything to gain his trust to begin with. I mean if I was him, I would hate us too." It was seldom that Eagle said something wise, but in times like these Eagle was not the same as the man they knew at camp. He always tried to put himself in others people shoes. That's what made him a good solider.  He would try and thing of what the enemy would do before they could follow it through.

“So what are we supposed to do? Sit around and wait for them to bring Cub back and then try and make things better as we patch the poor kids wounds up?” Wolf was pacing again and Snake looked ready to throw a brick at his head as the pounding of his boots on the concrete floor echoed around the room, causing his headache to only intensified.

“It’s the best we can do right now. So sit down and stop pacing before I kill you. Maybe that’s how I’ll make it to Cub’s good side. You were always the worst to him.” Snake rubbed at his pounding head as Wolf took a seat on the ground once again, preparing to wait and joining in the silent prayers that Alex would be okay when he was finally brought back to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to leave comments please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything you recognize.

When Alex woke, he was confused. He was tied to a chair in an empty room. Testing the strength of his bonds he found they had taken great precaution to keep him prisoner. They had used both handcuffs and plastic ties, if one broke then the other provide a backup, and if Alex was able to get out of one, then he would still have the other to break through, and that would take too much time. They would be able to stop him if he got too close to escaping. Laying his head back Alex closed his eyes trying to think of a way out, anything that could help them escape the hell they were in. With a sigh he realized that it was nearly impossible.

His thoughts wandered back to K-Unit and Ben, who were probably still back in the holding cell. What were they thinking about? Was Wolf even worried? He doubted it, he was sure that Ben was the only one who cared about him. He felt bad though. It was his fault that they were even in this mess. He should have just gone with them when they had first attacked, K-Unit would never been captured if he had just gave himself over. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by the door bouncing loudly against the wall.

"Do you always have to slam open the door? It's a bit over dramatic don't you think?"

Josh's lip twitched at the comment, which didn’t go unnoticed by Alex as a smirk spread across his face. This was going to be easier than he thought.

A larger man stepped in behind Josh. His head almost hit the top of the doorway as he walked in and his muscles bulged, looking as if his shirt would rip off at any minute.

"Who's this? Your bodyguard? Afraid of me even though I'm tied up?"

"Oh Alex, so naive. This is the man who is going to cause you great pain and suffering, and me great joy, within the next hour. Now I'm going to start out with simple questions. You will answer, if not my ‘little’ friend here will give you a bit of pain. Okay? So let’s start, who do you work for?"

"Please tell me you're not that stupid? Everyone in the criminal world knows who I work for! It’s basic information at this point. "

Josh tsked before bellowing, “Max!”

The man apparently named Max, suddenly appeared in front of Alex, a knife in hand. With a sudden swipe upward Alex's shirt was torn in two. Alex hadn't even blinked. But then, with another swipe a stinging sensation erupted across his stomach. Looking down he saw blood flow out of the ruler straight line that had been cut across his stomach.

A smile spread across Josh's face. "No Alex, I'm not that stupid. I told you I was going to be asking simple questions. This is just so you know what we do, when you do not answer with what I want. Don't worry you won't get used to it; I’ll make sure of that. Now on to the next question. How many missions have you been on?"

Alex smirked, "Even if these are simple questions, guess what? The answer is classified." Alex knew how this would end, and it wouldn't be good for him, but at least he got to have some fun before he was, most likely, dragged back to the cell unconscious and bloody.

Josh didn't have to say anything before Max left another, scar to be, on his chest. This one was slightly deeper, drawing more blood. It hurt but there was no way Alex would show that to Josh. Only when his body couldn’t take it anymore did Alex give any signs of pain away, and it was more than likely that it would end up that way.

"Where have these missions been?"

Silence and another slash just a bit deeper.

"You worked for SCORPIA, correct?"

Silence, a cold glare directed toward Josh, and another line was added.

"Fine. Max." Alex didn't even turn his head. He could have cared less what Max was getting, but he was able to guess that it would only bring more pain. And he was right. A sudden searing pain erupted across his back, right after he heard something whistling through the air.

From the line of blood he could feel dripping down his back, he guessed it was a whip. Max was apparently very strong or else he wouldn't have been able to draw blood that easily. Alex twitched, trying his hardest not to scream at the surprise of pain, all that left his lips was a gasp.

Josh asked more and more questions but Alex kept his lips sealed. He knew that he would sooner or later succumb to the pain and give something away to be free of it, but for as long as his mind was clear, he kept his lips shut.

After what felt like days to Alex, but was only a couple of hours, Josh stopped his questioning. Alex’s head leaned forward, his chin resting on his chest. The hair in his face hid the pain that flooded his eyes. Alex didn't even know he had this much will-power.

"Well Alex I have some other business to attend to right now. You will be put back in your cell and your team mates will be allowed to attend to you for half an hour. After that half an hour you will all be put back in your individual cells and left alone for the night. Do not try anything through the night Alex, we will know and you will be severely punished. Until next time." With that Josh left as two guards came in and untied Alex before dragging him off.

~Line Break~

It was silent throughout the holding cell. They all listened for some type of clue that Alex was being brought back to them. Sadly, they heard nothing.

It was sometime later that the door opened and in walked two guards, a stumbling Alex held in-between them, who seemed to be arguing that he could 'walk just fine'. The bigger looking of the two opened the main door before going around and opening everyone else's. He walked out backwards, keeping his eyes on all of them. Before they left they roughly threw Alex inside the cell, locking the main door behind them.

After the guards had left for good, K-Unit took a careful look at Alex. He had no shirt which had most likely been ripped off, and was probably lying on the floor of some torture chamber somewhere in the facility. The cuts across his chest continued to sluggishly bleed, his back hidden to them until he stumbled over to the corner.

Alex slid down the wall, careful to avoid the cuts from the whip on his back, and covered himself as much as possible. He wrapped his arms around his knees and tucked his head down, once again leaning his chin on his chest, his forehead resting on his knees. Yet it did nothing to stop the chill that was slowly seeping into his bones, quickly causing his body to shiver.

Ben walked over to his cell where he kept anything that he had found useful. His coat from before he was captured sat in the corner. Walking back over to the teenager, he draped the coat over Alex shoulders, getting a quick glimpse of his bloodied back.

"It's not much but it's better than nothing." Alex remained quiet. Not moving, the only indication of life was the small rise and fall of his shoulders.

Ben sighed and headed back to his cell looking at Alex with the concern of a family member.

"Cub, do you think I could give you a quick check over? I just want to make sure nothing is too bad." Snake spoke up. Alex remained quiet, Snake mistakenly taking it as a yes. He made his way over to Alex before uncertainty rose in his chest. Maybe silence meant no to Cub. He put a hand on Alex shoulder.

The voice he spoke with was one of coldness.

 "Don't touch me. I'm fine." Snake slowly backed off and went back to his own cell. Alex didn't show it but he was in pain, a lot of pain, it clouded his mind, but he still refused to show any sort of weakness. When they all went to sleep he would attend to himself, but for now he sat, letting the cold numb him, ebbing away some of the pain and lessening the stinging of the cuts.

Just like Josh promised, in half an hours’ time the guards came back. They pushed K-Unit into their respective cells, where, once locked in, they continued to sit and watch Alex. Hoping to see him get up and do something, anything. But he just sat there; only the slow rise and fall of his shoulders telling them he was alive.

After a little while they started talking, planning, hoping to find a way out. Another couple of hours and they had finally fallen asleep. He got up and walked over to Ben's cell, silently he took the pile of ripped up strips of cloth and wrapped up what need to be wrapped up, and wiped away any stray blood left on his chest and stomach. He threw the bloody pieces of cloth in a corner and zipped up the coat Ben had given him. He leaned back against the wall, and with nothing else to do, closed his eyes, letting memories flood his mind.

Soon he fell into a restful, if not peaceful; sleep, for the first time in a long time. There were no dreams of Jack coming to tell him that he had failed to protect her, that he didn't really care for her, and that he was the reason she had died. He dreamed of nothing. Just endless black.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything you recognize.

Sadly the blissful darkness could not last forever. Sooner or later he would have to wake up to the nightmare that surrounded him. He woke just before everyone else, Ben waking only a few minutes later. Wolf was the next to awake, but it was a good ten minutes after Ben had woken before the ‘leader’ opened his eyes. Snake followed behind Wolf after five minutes, and last was Eagle, who was only woken after Wolf yelled his name and threatened him with mess hall duty when they got back.

They sat in silence, everyone staring at Alex, worried expressions painted across their faces. Alex hated being worried over. He had gotten along fine before, and he could do just fine now. He hated being put in the spotlight and it wasn’t long before he snapped.

 "Would you _please_ stop _staring_ at me?" Everyone but Ben quickly turned away, embarrassed that they had been caught, even though they had done almost nothing to hide it.

Alex still felt eyes on him and turned to see Ben studying him.

"What?" Alex stared right back with what he liked to call his ‘spy eyes.’ It was a cold calculating glare that he had perfected over the years. It had been the only thing that had gotten to Blunt during their ‘negotiations’ and it was the most valuable tool he had. Everyone knew that a teenager should not have such eyes as Alex had, and he used that to his advantage.

"Don't push us away Alex, we want to help." Ben's eyes had softened, no longer studying, but instead just watching.

"Yeah well you didn't seem to care about helping me before." Alex turned away and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin in-between his knees and closing his eyes.

Ben continued to look at Alex, the paternal feeling he had gotten when he had first dealt with the boy during the Snakehead mission had only grown since Alex had been thrown in here. He knew that Alex had been through a lot and he needed someone that would help him through the trauma that he had dealt with. Spies always came back from missions with some sort of trauma, big or small. It helped having someone permanent in your life to get over that trauma, and if the rumors that floated around MI6 were true, then Alex no longer had anyone in his life.  It was plain to see that Alex didn't trust anyone, not that Ben blamed him. Spies don’t trust people easily; it was a trait they possessed that kept them safe when they were in the field, and sometimes, when they were home.

When Ben had met Alex during Snakehead he could tell he had been through a lot already. His eyes had become more serious and hardened than when they had first met at Brecon Beacons, and he had been able to see the few scars that weren't hidden by his shirt. Ben had wondered, but he had had a job to do, and he knew better than to ask about another spy’s job.

They sat in silence. It wasn't like the movies where water would drip from somewhere up above, or mice would skitter across the floor. No, it was nothing like the movies.

It didn’t take too long before Eagle got up and started pacing the cell, unable to sit still for very long periods of time. The pacing held a calming rhythm and Alex could help but be hypnotized by the steady sound of Eagles boots against the concrete floor. He caught himself just as his body began to fall asleep, which would have no doubt brought a nightmare.

 "Eagle quit pacing." It wasn't a request but an order, which Eagle quickly and wisely responded to.

The quiet didn't last long after that. Eagle began talking to Snake about how bored he was, Snake quietly agreeing, and soon they were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. They added other things, special types of guns, and bombs. They were soldiers; they had to include some violence.

An hour later and almost everyone was doing something that produced some sort of sound. Wolf was being Wolf, sitting in his cell mumbling about 'childish soldiers' and their ‘childish games’. Fox was laughing as Snake kept winning. Eagle was pouting and refusing to believe that Snake was playing fair. Alex was in the same position as he had been an hour ago. The only difference was that he had let himself go; allowing his mind to drift back to a better time, a time when Ian was alive, and Jack was always smiling. A time when Alex had acted his age, when he had many friends, when he was passing his classes, and a time when there were no rumours of him being in a gang or some sort of drug addict.

Everyone was at least semi-happy. Until the door opened once again, the usual dramatic bang included, just like every other time. The guards entered, quickly followed by Josh. Any sort of happiness in the room quickly drained away.

"So, how is everyone?" Josh’s voice was cheery and a smile stretched across his pale face.

Silence answered him.

"Okay then, grab that one." He pointed to Eagle whose smile had disappeared the second the door had swung open.

The guards did as ordered. Alex was tied up so that he couldn't try anything while they got Eagle out of the cells. Once he was out one of the guards shut the doors, leaving Alex tied up on the floor once again. Without another word they walked out with the loud slam of the door echoing around the room.

Snake broke the silence. "Eagle will be fine. He's strong, there's nothing to worry about." Alex was almost positive that Snake was trying to reassure himself more than anyone else in the room.

No one said a word. Wolf began pacing, while Snake tapped his fingers on the floor.

 _‘Tells’_ Alex couldn’t help but think. Signs that they were worried. Ben was a spy, and as such, he had no outward signs that he was worried, but Alex knew. Eagle was his friend, why wouldn't he be worried?

Alex tested the ropes and found they were tied just as tightly as last time. 

‘ _I could probably bend back and untie my legs. At least I would be able to walk around’._  Alex then bent back as far as he could, the cuts on his back tearing open again as his fingertips just reached the rope, and with the tips of his fingers he was able to pull on the end, and loosen it. Soon, after a lot of painful stretching and reaching, Alex's legs were free. He was able to stand and started walking, stretching his legs with a slight limp. The coat from Ben was discarded on the floor and the wounds on his back were sluggishly bleeding again.

After the cramps left his legs he sat up against the wall, and began thinking about ways out of this. Ben soon interrupted his thoughts.

"Come over here and I can undo the rope around your hands." His voice was soft, not patronizing in anyway, just held the hope of being able to help.

With his circulation being cut off he decided to go over without arguing. Ben undid the rope and Alex mumbled a quiet 'thank you' as he rubbed his red, sore wrists. As he started to walk away before Ben asked him a quick question.

"Why did you come in with K-Unit?"

“I was at Brecon Beacons." Alex answered as it was a harmless question that one of the others would probably answer anyway.

"But why? You weren't getting trained for another mission where you?"

"No Ben, I was not being trained for another mission." Alex sat back down, draping the coat back over himself, and closed his eyes. He evened out his breathing, and pretended to fall sleep.

Ben turned his attention to Wolf. "Any idea on why he was there?"

There was a moment of silence in which Wolf had shaken his head. "No idea, sorry Fox. All I know was that he was there for an undisclosed amount of time for classified reasons. He wouldn't talk to us the whole time."

Snake interrupted, mumbling "Well we weren't the nicest of people."

Wolf growled "Well I'm sorry if I don't like the fact that his rich dad paid for his way into ‘camp.’"

"Wolf! We have been through this; I don't think his 'daddy' paid his way into camp. He keeps up with us too well to just be a boy with a rich father. You don't know a thing about the kid so just stop." Alex noticed that Snake's Scottish accent was a lot thicker when he was mad.

"Obviously you have talked about this before. Sorry to burst your bubble Wolf, but Snakes right. The kid doesn't have a rich dad; in fact he doesn't even have a dad. Both his parents are dead."

"How do you know this?" Wolf’s voice was sharp, probably due to his wounded pride about being wrong.

"I had a mission that he just so happened to be involved in. MI6 gave me a bit of clearance. I don't know much more, besides the fact that he's got a load of talents."

"Want to let us in?" asked Wolf, annoyance clear in his voice, he hated being in the dark about anything.

Ben shook his head "Sorry but, I'm not destroying the small amount of trust he's given me. He wouldn't be happy with me right know, I've already said too much to begin with."

"Gee Fox, he's just a kid and besides he's asleep. We can keep secrets." Snake was clearly interested in the life of the one named Alex.

"Snake, he's more than just a kid, he's been through a lot. And I don't think he's asleep. He's a very convincing actor though." Ben sighed, but Alex refused to show that he was right.

It was quiet and soon Eagle was brought back, and the commotion provided the perfect time for Alex to ‘wake up.’ Eagle too wasn't badly hurt, a lot of cuts and bruises, but he could walk. He reassured everyone that all he needed was a good night’s rest paired with some food and water, and he'd be better in no time. Snake was quick to put in that the cuts also needed to be cleaned in order to avoid infection.

Eagle did what he could before curling up in the corner of his cell, letting sleep over take him. K-Unit followed soon after, leaving only Ben and Alex awake.

"Alex, you know I'm here if you want to talk right?"

A mumbled yes was the only answer Ben got; Alex’s mind was preoccupied with plans of escape. The only problem was he could not find one that would work.

"Okay, so if you ever feel the need…"Alex cut Ben off before he could finish his sentence.

 "I appreciate the offer Ben but I don't need to talk about anything." Alex felt bad as his voice had been a bit sharper than he had meant for it to be, but he was sure he had gotten his message across.

Ben sighed and turned toward the makeshift bed that he had made over the couple of weeks he had been here.

"Alright but if you change your mind, I'll be here for you whenever you need help." With that Ben laid down and fell into the light sleep that spies were known for.

Alex continued to sit there, almost like a statue. Thinking, planning, and sometimes daydreaming. Many plans came to him, but all were dismissed as impossible. The only way he had a chance of saving anyone, was by begging their capturers to let everyone else go, and keep him as a prisoner.


	10. Chapter 9

Eventually, the men came back and the normal routine followed. Alex was tied up and left on the floor, and then they proceeded to pick someone, Wolf, and drag them out of the room.

Of course, Wolf fought back, but the fight wasn’t fair as Wolf was overpowered four to one. As he was dragged out of the room Alex could see a burning rage in his eyes. Ben removed Alex from his bonds, earning a small thanks before Alex returned to his corner, silently watching K-unit worry over Wolf.

Alex knew he would be okay. Wolf was a strong man, and he wouldn't snap under this torture. Deep down Alex knew he was only trying to keep himself from worrying. Deep down he was unsure of how Wolf would take the torture, as they seemed to change their form for each person.

After an unusually short wait, the door opened. K-unit jumped up, hoping to see Wolf, and watched as two guards walked in. One was dragging a small form behind him by one of its arms; the other quickly pushed K-Unit back into their respective cells, before backing out.

The guard dragging the small form came up to Alex cell, opened the door a small crack, and threw the small body in like a bag of potatoes. He quickly closed the door, locking it up once more before both guards left the room with the normal door slam.

Alex didn't watch them leave; instead he fell to his knees next to the small body that had been thrown on the dirty floor of his cell. It was a boy who looked to be only about five or six. He had brown hair that hung in his face. He was dirty but looked to be in good health and Alex saw no visible injuries. Alex guessed he would wake within in the next ten minutes and at most within the next half hour.

For now Alex took the SAS jacket that he had thrown into a corner and covered the small child with it before gently placing the child’s head in his lap. The floor was cold and uncomfortable, but it was also covered in dirt, blood, and who knew what else.

The kid woke up approximately fifteen minutes later. Everyone had been silent as they watched the child rest. Alex sat still the whole time, and when the child started to stir he did not look down at him. Alex hated waking up to a face right in front of his own, he was sure it would only scare the child.

When he finally sat up, he looked to Alex, and with a small voice he asked the question that they all wish they could answer.

 "Where am I?"

"I'm not sure, but you’re going to be okay. What’s your name?" Alex spoke with a gentle voice. He had become a master of facial expressions, and now his eyes were soft and kind.

"I'm… I'm not supposed to tell strangers my name." He stuttered a couple times before answering, and Alex had to hand it to the kid. At his age, Alex would have told anyone who would listen what his name was.

"It's okay; I promise I won't hurt you. I'm going to help you; if I tell you my name will you tell me yours?"

The kid looked up at Alex, there was terror in his eyes, and Alex felt his anger grow. His anger at the people who held them there. His anger toward MI6 for getting him into this mess. His anger at the world for being so cruel and unfair. But Alex pushed that anger away for now. He had a mission now.  

"I'm not sure… My mummy always told me not to talk to strangers and especially not to tell them my name."  His voice was small with the terror that shimmered in his eyes.

"Well, I'll tell you my name anyways. Is that okay?" Alex smiled at the kid, hoping to encourage him.

"But didn't your mummy tell you to not talk to strangers?" The kids face became a thoughtful one as he tried to imagine a mother that did not caution their child to the dangers of the world.

Alex chuckled before answering, “My mummy told me that it was okay as long as I was locked up with them and felt that I could trust them." Of course that was untrue, considering the fact that Alex's mother was dead before he could even begin to remember her.

"My mommy told me that no matter what I'm not supposed to tell them my name."

"Okay, well I'm going to tell you my name anyways." After a small nod of the kids head, he spoke again.

"I'm Alex." he said with a smile.

"I'm Jonathan, but my mummy calls me John." He said quickly. Then his eyes widened into saucers and he clamped his hands over his mouth as if it would somehow bring the words back.

Alex gave a small laugh.

 "That a nice name. Want to know something?" Alex leaned in close to John, "My dad's name is John. He was really brave and smart; I think all John's are smart."

John smiled, puffing out his chest trying to prove that he was also brave.

"I'm brave. I kept my mummy from stepping on a plate, and I kept my kitty from scratching her!" He smiled and stood up putting his hand on his hips taking the stance of a superhero.

Alex laughed "Wow you are brave. I have another question John; I want you to tell me the truth no matter what, okay?"

John nodded then he held out his pinky finger.

"I pinky promise." He smiled brightly.

Alex smiled back before latching his pinky finger around Johns.

"Here's my question John. Are you okay? Do you have any scratches, does anything hurt? Let me know so I can make them better, okay?" Alex looked into John vibrant blue eyes.

John looked back at Alex and nodded before answering.

 "I got a cut on my leg when the people were taking me away from mummy and daddy, and my head really hurts."

"Do you know how your leg got cut?" Alex asked as he lifted up the pant leg to look at the cut underneath.

"There was metal sticking off the van and my leg hit it." The cut on his leg wasn't too deep, but Alex still took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the cut.

"What about my head?" He asked as Alex got up off the floor.

"Turn around and I'll take a look at it." John obeyed Alex and turned around. Alex put a small amount of pressure on the spot John indicated. He yelped and Alex quickly apologized.

"It's just bruised, it'll be okay, I promise."

"You make a lot of promises," John observed.

"When I make a promise it means that it will come true. I promise." Alex smiled and John giggled.

Alex hated it when kids got involved in things. It was bad enough that he was only fourteen when he had been tricked into become one of MI6's best spies. No kid deserved this, no matter what they did. They did not deserve to be in a situation that would leave them mental, emotionally, and physically scared for the rest of their life. It was cruel and wrong.

"Alex?" John called tugging on his shirt. Alex looked down at him with a small smile indicating that he had his attention. "I'm tired, Alex. Can I go to sleep?"

"Of course. Hey Snake can I have that jacket back?" Alex was answered a moment later when a jacket was thrown his way. Alex took the jacket and rolled it up into a makeshift pillow. “Where do you want to sleep?"

John looked down, suddenly becoming shy.

 "Can I sleep by you?" John wasn't sure why but he felt he could trust Alex, and that his mummy would not be mad if he broke some of her rules for him.

Alex smiled and patted the area by him "Of course."

John smiled and sat down by Alex, leaning on Alex's shoulder, another ten minutes later and John had slipped down so that his head was resting on Alex's leg. Alex didn't mind, he felt like he had some kind of connection with John. It more than the fact that he had his dads name.

"Wow Cub, never seen you act so nice." Eagle commented, ruining the peaceful silence that had enveloped the room.

"Well, Eagle, why would I be nice to a group of people that completely ignores me." Alex voice was ice and his mask was back in place.

"Jeez, don't be a stick in the mud." Eagle smiled while Alex glared at him.

That glare made Eagle back off while Snake shook his head at Eagle's childish acts.

"I never knew that you had such a liking to children Alex." Ben said.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, Ben." Alex whispered as he looked down at the child that was peacefully asleep in his lap, his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. A small smile had taken its place on his face, and Alex was sure he was dreaming of his parents.

All conversation ended there. For the next hour no one talked. Wolf was brought back and everyone was let out like last time. Alex stayed in the corner as John slept through the commotion; he had had a long day. Anyone would have slept the way he was right now.

Snake fixed Wolf up as best he could. Wolf had come back with a black eye, cut and bruises littered his body. His shirt had been cut off; showing off his well-toned chest, and his back had whip marks to rival the ones on Alex’s own back. His shoulder had been dislocated and Snake had to pop it back in while Wolf bit down on multiple strips of cloth that he had placed in his mouth to keep from screaming. Even if he was in a great deal of pain Wolf didn't want to wake up the mystery kid that had showed up while he was gone.

Alex didn't move from his spot, preferring to stare off into space as he brushed his fingers through John’s hair, something his uncle had done many times when he was home, from what Alex had believed then to be business meetings, and Alex had woken from nightmares.

_(Flashback)_

_Alex woke with tears streaming down his face. He was terrified of that dream._

_He crawled out of bed and walked out of the door of his room, just one door to the left of his own was his destination. His uncle had gone to bed as soon as he had walked through the door and given Alex a hug. That had been around six 'o clock. It was now almost one in the morning._

_Ian had come back with only a few scratches and bruise, but a lot of exhaustion. He was lucky he had made it all the way to his bed before finally collapsing and falling asleep._

_Ian woke up to the sound of small feet walking down hallway, a few seconds later and his door opened. A small head of blond hair peered through the crack._

_"Ian?" the voice was young and terrified. Ian had already known it was Alex though. This always happened when he came back from missions._

" _Come on in Al. Was it another nightmare?" Ian sighed as the small head nodded._

_"The usual one?" He asked as he lifted the five year old onto his bed. Once again Alex nodded before burying his face into Ian's side. The small tears slowly creating a wet spot on Ian shirt._

_Ian pulled Alex of his side and looked into his eyes, with all seriousness he said "I will not leave you Al, I promise. I will always be here for. You believe me right?"_

_Alex smiled and nodded once again before laying his head on his uncle side. "I love you Ian."_

" _And I love you Alex, now get some sleep." With those words Alex leaned against his uncle and closed his eyes. Ian hummed a tune, one that Helen had always sung when she was off in her own little world, as he brushed his fingers through Alex's hair. One minute later Alex was asleep, a content smile on his face._

Ian had lied about always being there for Alex, but Alex had forgiven him. You can't exactly plan your death. Alex was still working on forgiving him for training him, and he knew that someday he would forgive him.

Today was not that day though. The rest of the day went by quietly. K-unit and Ben sat and talked, while Alex sat in his corner remembering the days when Ian was alive and Alex had been clueless to his uncle’s job and the terrors it held.


	11. Chapter 11

The dirt floor was becoming much too familiar, as was the feeling of utter hopelessness that was constantly consuming Alex. The quiet that always accompanied him when he woke up was not something he enjoyed, as he fought to keep his own mind from tearing him apart with nothing to occupy his thoughts.

Alex tried not to shift to much as he stretched his sore muscles. John lay silent beside him, his head resting on Alex’s chest. Alex concentrated on the slight rise and fall of John’s chest, pushing away the dark thoughts that always tried to envelop his mind during his first few minutes of wakefulness. The long day yesterday was bound to keep John knocked for at least another hour. Alex made himself content to sit and watch the soft face of the young boy until he awoke, allowing his mind to go blank.

K-Unit woke slowly around them. Wolf was the last to join them in the waking state, but after the day he had yesterday, it was to be expected. Alex noticed the stiff movements of the team leader. He kept his torso straight and he barely moved his left arm. These were normal things that came with the injuries Wolf has sustained. Alex himself still kept his torso as straight as possible; too much movement would cause the cuts that had healed over to open again.

It was quiet for the most part, and John continued to sleep on. It wasn’t until Eagles complaints about being hungry grew more dramatic that John woke up.

Alex had begun running his fingers through the kids hair at some point, and Alex continued his ministrations as the boy pulled the jacket closer around himself while simultaneously curling closer to the warmth of Alex’s body.

Eagle continued babbling on about his hunger to Snake until a small whine from John pushed the medic over the edge.

“Eagle, if you don’t shut up, you’re going to scare the kid awake, and that’s the last thing he needs right now.” Snake pushed his words through his clenched teeth, the reaction was immediate. Eagle plopped down to the cell floor, a dejected look on his face.

With a sigh Snake continued. “I don’t know if they’re going to feed us, but yelling at nothing is not going to help. You’re just wasting energy that you might need later. So please, just stop.”

Eagle continued to pout, but Snake knew the man understood and would keep quiet. It was a normal reaction for Eagle to act childish when in a situation like this. It was something they had learned during one of the unscheduled training drills. It was something Snake had figured out how to deal with.

John was slow to wake up, but when he finally opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings, it was clear he had thought it had been a bad dream. His eyes filled with tears. Before the first one could fall Alex had scooped him up from the floor and placed him in his lap. With no shirt to cling onto, John’s arms seemed to automatically wrap around Alex’s neck as cried.

Alex offered as much comfort as he could; remembering the small things Jack would do to help calm Alex after a particularly bad nightmare. His hand ran up and down the boy’s small back, hushing him and trying to reassure him as best he could. 

Slowly the sobs subsided into silent tears and the occasional hitch in his breathing. Alex continued his actions of comfort, allowing John to continue to cling to him for as long as he wanted.  The room was quiet, not even Eagle was making a sound.

The door swung open. Its rusty hinges making it creak as it did so. Two men walked in, pushed food in between the bars and left.  Eagle was quick to eat and was back to complaining in no time. Alex ate a small amount of his own small portion before passing it over to John. Alex was use to his food being withheld. John was younger than him and if they had any chance of escape the small boy would need whatever energy he could get to stay on his feet.

Alex didn’t miss the disapproving look Snake threw his way, but he did ignore it. Alex knew what he was doing. This particular situation was new, but being kidnapped was something Alex was use to at this point.

 Josh appeared not long after they had finished their food. Snake had snapped at Eagle earlier and now the man sat in his cell quietly. The familiar creaking of hinges accompanying the man as he made his way into the room.  

Alex was quick to jump back into action, pushing john behind him and out of sight. K-Unit and Ben converge at their cage doors trying to see what would happen.

“Hello, Alex. How are you on this fine day?” He asked casually.

“Oh, so it is day. I couldn’t tell considering that we’re locked away in a windowless dungeon. What do you want?” With a child now involved Alex’s snark and sarcasm were gone, and he was all business. He was in no mood for fun and games.

“I see, you want to get right to the point today, correct?” He gave a humorless laugh before pointing to Eagle’s cage. “I’m just here to pick up your comrade Eagle for our session. If you’ll just be a good little boy Alex and let my men tie you up, then we’ll be on our way.”

“And if I don’t want too?”

Two of the five men that had come with Josh entered the cage, the door closing behind them.

“If you behave yourself then we won’t tie you up.” He turned away from Alex’s piercing stare to instruct his men as they cautiously entered further into the cage. “Grab Eagle and let the others out. We won’t have him for too long.”

The men did as ordered, edging their way around Alex, trying to keep as much distance from him as possible. Ben’s cage was the closest and the poor soul that had to unlock his door looked like he was going to pee himself. They had all heard the rumors about Agent Alex Rider. All of them had been warned not to underestimate the boy. So far none of them had made such a mistake. But in his terror the man had not been careful. After unlocking Ben’s cage he had spun suddenly, aiming to keep him eyes on Rider. His hand turned around his body loosely, flinging around and landed on John’s cheek. The momentum pushing the boy to the ground as he cried out in pain.

Alex watched as John’s head hit the ground and his ears only heard the cry of a small child behind him. The guard stood shocked before stuttering out an apology that feel on deaf ears. The man had never seen such fury in the eyes of one so young. He had only ever seen it once, in his boss’s eyes, and a man had ended up brutally murdered because of that.

Alex only saw red.

His instincts took over as he lashed out, bringing a fist to connect with the guards temple. The man crumpled to the ground unconscious. The three other guards entered the cage quickly, leaving the door open behind them in their haste.

Josh rubbed the bridge of his nose. He knew it had been a bad idea to bring along that guard. He was loyal, but clumsy. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pushed three twice, alerting any available guards that there was a problem.

Alex’s adrenaline pumped through his veins as he fought the four remaining guards, the pain from his foot unnoticed. When children got hurt some instinct kicked in, an instinct that had only ever been brought out of Alex once before.

 Ben was quick to pull the crying John out of harm’s way, bringing him back into his cage where flying people couldn’t accidently knock into him.

Snake skirted around the fight and into Ben’s cage. A quick check on John reviled that another bruise might be forming on the back of his head, but otherwise no other harm had come to him.

Ben handed the crying child to Snake who whispered gentle comforts into the child’s ear, holding him close to his chest in the vain attempt to calm him. Ben focused on trying to calm a separate kid.

“Alex, it’s okay. John’s okay. He’s just got a bruise. Nothing to worry about. He is okay, Alex!” He didn’t dare come any closer to the fight, instead yelling across to the blonde teenager.

It took a moment before the information processed through Alex’s mind. _Johns okay. Its only a bruise. He’s okay._

It only took a moment of hesitation, as his brain processed what Ben said, and the guards found an opening. A fist landed hard and fast to his stomach and he doubled over just as backup arrived. Alex was over powered quickly. Held to the ground as rope was wound around him, he could do little as he was tied up and thrown down at Josh’s feet.

Josh was still rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I tried to give you a chance so that you didn’t have to go through the time consuming process of getting tied up every time I came down here, but you went and ruined it. Now everyone gets to pay for your mistake. There will be no food for the next food days, only water. I _will_ punish you separately later, but for now Eagle still has to take his turn.” He almost sounded like a stern parent rather than a psychopathic mad-man.

He looked up to Eagles cage, expecting the man to be ready to be escorted way. Instead he found two very confused guards looking around an empty cell.

“You idiots! You didn’t tie him up did you?” His voice became harsh and low, a voice that would have, once long ago, sent shivers down Alex’s spine. Now it just signaled bad things to come. “Look what you’ve done. You didn’t tie him up and now he’s escaped. Go find him! Have every guard on alert! I don’t want him to make it out of this building alive!”

The guards ran from the room. Not a moment later did an alarm sound throughout the building.

“And you!” His face contorted in fury as he looked down upon Alex. “This is your fault. You distracted my guards. Everything is _your_ fault.” Each sentenced was accompanied with a kick, and as Josh spiraled into a rant about how Alex ruined everything there was only one thing the teenager could think.

_There’s the evil man inside._

Eventually Josh’s anger died down. He straightened out his clothes, smoothing back his hair before spitting at the boy. As he left the room he yelled at the guards to place him back in the cage, making sure the knots were secure before they turned away.

It was silent after the door shut. Bright dots danced in Alex’s vision as he breathed through the pain in his chest. The pain in his foot flared after such abuse. Some previous wounds had reopened and he felt the slight sting as small rivets of blood leaked from them.

John sat in the corner of Ben’s cage, still huddled close to Snake. He had calmed down thanks to the medics attention, but the fear still remained, as it would for as long as he was in that cage, and for some time after. Wolf sat stunned in his corner of the room, amazed that Alex had been able to fight like that in such a condition. Especially for so long. Ben made his way over to Alex, kneeling down next to him reaching to untie the knots.

“Don’t.” Alex’s voice sounded dead to Ben’s ears, but he understood. With a sigh he stood and returned to his corner with Snake and John, taking the child from the medic.

“Well, Eagle escaped. There is some hope.” Snake voiced quietly. Hopeful.

John relaxed in Ben’s hold. The stress of the fight left his small body drained and slowly his eyes drifted shut and he felt asleep with a small sigh.

That’s when Alex voiced his thoughts.

“Eagle will end up dead. If not…if he somehow manages to make it out alive…no one is going to listen to him.”

Ben’s heart shattered. What had this child been through to erase any kind of hope that the world could bring?

“Don’t think like that.” His voice was quiet as he continued. “MI6 will. They’re probably out looking for us right now.” They had never let Ben down before.

Alex’s laugh held no humor and the room fell silent once more. One by one everyone drifted off to sleep. Alex passing out not long after Wolf’s soft snoring filled the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything you recognize.

Eagle had seen his chance as more guards had poured in through the door to try and subdue Cub. Josh was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. Irritation radiated from him, the fact that his guards couldn't take down a fourteen year old boy made his irritation only grow into anger. Anger allowed people to slip up, like Josh was doing right now, placing all his attention on Cub.

As more guards had rushed in, the door was left open, and Eagle had silently slipped out. No one had noticed, he was sure of it. Everyone’s attention was trained on Cub who was in a fit of rage because John had gotten hurt. Snake was looking over the crying child as Ben tried to calm Alex from afar. Wolf seemed to be shocked at how well Cub could fight. When they had found Cub fighting those people they assumed he had been fighting for only a few seconds. It was becoming clear that he had probably been fighting for much longer than they had original thought as he knocked another guard unconscious.

As soon as Eagle had made it out of the room he ran. He had no idea where to find an exit. He hadn't been able to follow which way they had come when they were bought in. His footsteps sounded louder than they should have. The halls were all white. White tile floors, white painted walls, white ceilings and the occasional white door. He had no idea if he was going in a circle or not.

A stairwell appeared on his right. They hadn't gone up or down any stairs on their way in, that much he knew. That meant he had to stay on this floor.

But the sound of several people's footsteps made him jump, and acting quickly he ran down the stairwell hoping that this wasn't the way they were headed. As he pressed himself against the wall as an alarm went off making him jump once again. The people that had been heading his way bypassed the stairs, carrying on down the corridor as the alarm blared overhead.

He waited on the stairwell, thinking. An idea hit him as he waited a few more minutes before going back up the stairs and continuing his pace down the same corridor the men had gone. On the stairs there had been an open paint can, partially filled with deep blue paint. The place had smelled of wet paint and Eagle had found the source, soaking his shirt in it. As he ran he left little droplets near the wall on the floor. He wanted to keep the guards of his trail for as long as possible, but assuming they already knew he had escaped it was only a matter of time before he was caught. He just had to find a way out before his time was up.

After what felt like an hour of running around, avoiding any hallways that already had black paint, and several close calls Eagle finally found his way out. A small receptionist’s area with large clear glass doors. A lady sat behind the dark wooden desk, tapping away on a keyboard. There was no way he was going to be able to sneak around her. Dirt covered every inch of him and his dark clothes from Brecon Beacons painstakingly stood out against his white surroundings. The best and only chance he had was to run straight through the small area and hope that they hadn’t locked doors.

He hid behind the corner, taking in slow deep breaths, gathering courage. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. With one last breath in, he sprinted across the room, startling the receptionist, who spilled papers all over the floor. Eagle pushed against the doors, only to find them locked. He almost started crying before doing the first thing that came to mind. Taking his foot he smashed it into the glass, only to have it bounce off, twisting painfully.

Panic began to set in as he took in his surrounding, looking for something, anything, that might break the thick glass. The lady behind the desk had pressed a button and Eagle could hear the pounding of feet as they came for him.

He grabbed one of the scattered chairs and threw it against the glass with as much strength as he could muster, praying that it would be enough. A smile graced his face as the glass shattered, and he ran through the busted door before the dust could settle.

The guards came around the corner just as Eagle leapt through the door. They quickly fired at the figure that was almost to the line of trees. Trees that would make it almost impossible for them to see him. A couple managed to graze their target and Eagle faltered at the pain, but he powered through and kept going. He reached the tree line just as reinforcements arrived.

He didn't stop though. He kept running until he felt like he was going to collapse. He didn’t know how safe he was, but it was starting to get dark. It would be difficult to find him the dark forest, especially considering he still had on most of his uniform. He leaned against a tree, breathing in the fresh air and waiting for his racing heart to calm. All he had to do now was find a way out of the forest and get help.

But first he needed to rest, otherwise he wouldn't get far before collapsing. He was no use exhausted. He walked a little farther from the way he had come before climbing a tree and settling on a sturdy branch. He didn't move very much when he slept so he didn't have to worry about falling off, but all the same he, made sure not go up too high just in case.

After getting as comfortable as he could Eagle closed his eyes and fell asleep.

~*~

When Alex woke he was still tied up. He was sweaty but it wasn't due to any heat. With another night came another nightmare.

Slowly Alex sat up, making sure not to move to fast. He was sore from the brutal kicks that he had received yesterday, and today he had a feeling he was going to receive much worse. Josh was going to punish him and Alex knew he wasn't going to be forgiving.

Slowly everyone else awoke, Ben being the first and John being the last. Alex didn't say a word to anyone. He felt too guilty. His rash actions had ended up getting everyone punished. He should have checked to make sure John was okay before he went and started knocking people out. He knew he had no check when it came to his anger, and it was something that would get him killed one day, or worse. It could get someone else killed.

That's how things always ended up. Everyone he met ended up in danger just because they knew him. It would be easier if he just died, but he was too useful. There were too many lives he could save. Besides he had to make sure everyone got out okay before he could completely give up.

No one attempted to talk to him except for Ben and John. Ben was able to talk Alex into letting him take off the ropes. It took a while because the knots were so tight but after a while Ben was finally able to completely free Alex from the ropes.

John really did talk to Alex though. He could tell that Alex wasn't happy with himself, John's older brother sometimes acted this way and John would curl up with him, comforting him to the best of his six year old ability.

_Flashback_

_John's older brother Kevin had finally arrived home. John was ecstatic, running over to greet his big brother, asking him how his day was and practically begging Kevin to play with him._

_"Come on Kev let’s play! I'll let you be the good guy this time! I promise! Please!” John’s bright blue eyes looked up at him. He still hadn’t master the ‘kicked-puppy-dog look,’ but he was definitely getting closer. Not that Kevin would ever fall prey to it. He still used it himself from time to time._

" _Sorry John but I'm not in the mood today." Kevin smiled down at his brother, tousling John’s soft brown hair while dropping his book bag at the bottom of the stairs, before going over and plopping down on the couch. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes._

_Today had been a bad day. First he had been late for class, then during lunch he had tripped, and his food had ended up all over Megan, the most popular girl in school. Before the last class of the day Kevin had gotten into a fight, which his mom would surely end up grounding him for. Then right before he left school his girlfriend had broken up with him. She wanted a more attentive boyfriend, and Kevin always seemed to have too much on his plate to hang out with her._

_A small amount of pressure on his chest pulled Kevin out of his thoughts, looking down he saw the top of John's head leaning against his chest._

_"What's the matter Kev?" He asked. While his puppy-dog face needed work, he definitely had that ‘I’m-innocent’ voice down._

_Kevin gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, "I just had a bad day at school is all."_

"C _an I help make you happy again?"_

_Kevin gave a small chuckle before running his hand through John’s hair which was similar to his own. They could have been twins if not for the fact that Kevin was ten years older._

_"How about I make some snacks and then we can watch some cartoons?"_

" _Can I pick?" John asked, his face lighting up with a smile. They weren’t allowed to watch much television, as their mom didn't want them becoming couch potatoes._

" _Of course. What do you want to eat, buddy?" Kevin asked picking John up and placing him down on the cushion next to him._

" _I want a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich please."_

_Kevin walked into the kitchen, quickly making two sandwiches and pouring them both a glass of apple juice. When he returned to the living room John was sat on the couch flipping through channels, trying to find something to watch._

_Kevin put the snacks down on the coffee table and sat back down next to John, who had finally picked a show, although not a cartoon. 'How it's Made' played out on the screen and they sat back, watching how mirrors were made with a sandwich in hand._

_John curled into Kevin's side as the show progressed, the crumbs being the only evidence they had even had sandwiches. Kevin ran his fingers through John’s hair, something that relaxed them both, and soon Kevin's worries were in the back of his mind. Of course he would have to deal with most of them later, but for now he would relax with his little brother and learn how mirrors were made._

_End Flashback_

Alex had his back against the wall, John curled into his side, just like he did with Kevin. Alex carded his fingers through the child's hair, slowly pushing him to sleep. Alex didn’t know why but he found himself relaxing slightly, and soon his worries had been pushed to the back of his mind. John amazed Alex. He had no idea why he was dragged into this (most likely as ransom) but John had stayed relatively calm though all of this, or as calm as a kidnapped six year old could be.

K-unit sat watching the two youngest in the room. Alex had a calm blank look on his face, almost similar to his no-emotions mask, but different in a way the men couldn’t quite put their fingers on. John lay in the teens lap, fighting the inevitable oncoming sleep. If one looked closely it was almost as if Alex was smiling down at the child. No one said anything, too afraid to ruin the calm. Opting instead to just watch.

Wolf only hoped Eagle could find help before the small amount of human left in Cub disappeared. Before Cub was completely destroyed.

It was obvious by the teen’s blank face that something inside him was broken. No child held such a look. A look that only the longest serving veterans held. Wolf had realized that he was part of the problem. He had been rude from the start. Most would think that after Point Blanc Wolf and Cub would have gotten along, instead Wolf had treated him like crap the second the kid had come back to Brecon Beacons. He hadn't even given him a chance.

He just hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to Cub. With Snake, Ben and John they should be able to help Cub at least a little before rescue came, and when they were finally freed they would be there to help him. But it also landed on Cubs own shoulders, for it was only if Cub let them, could they actually help him. Until then they had to work to gain his trust, a process that Wolf knew would be a lot harder than anything else he had ever done.

****


	13. Chapter 13

 The peacefulness inside of the cage did not last long. An hour later Josh came back, five guards following obediently behind him.

Alex carefully passed John over to Ben before walking to the edge of the cage, coming face to face with Josh.

 "Leave them out of this. Do whatever you want with me, but please leave them alone." Only Ben was able to pick up on the desperation that leaked into his voice.

"Why? I have plans for them."

"One of us has already escaped. Why not just lessen the risk by letting them go. If you let them go, you can do whatever you want with me. I’ll do whatever you say."

"Please save your breath Alex. There is nothing you can say that will make me let them go. Now just come along quietly and I _might_ loosen up on your friend’s punishments." Josh smirked as Alex lowered his head in defeat. He did not protest as his friends were pushed back into their cages, John locked in with Ben. Alex stayed quiet as Josh's guards pulled his arms behind him with more force than necessary and basically dragged him out of the room, Alex tripping over his foot as it flared with pain.

The guards stayed close, hands wrapped around Alex’s upper arms as they led him down the winding, white hallways. Alex kept his head down and his mouth shut, biting his lip to muffle the whimpers that so desperately wanted to escape with each movement of his foot.

Alex felt horrible for what he had done. He was hoping that Josh was telling the truth when he said that he would loosen up on the punishments, otherwise Alex would never forgive himself.

He was thrown out of his thoughts as he was pushed into a chair. His wrists and ankles bound by leather straps that the guard pulled tight, digging into Alex’s skin and cutting off the circulation. Alex did not try to object. He was not going to say anything today. In the end Alex would only end up angering Josh which in turn would lead to worse punishments for everyone.

"I wasn't planning on bring you here for another week, but you honestly brought this upon yourself. Orsion, please come here, it's time to teach Rider a lesson. "

The man that stepped into the room was the man that Alex had come to know as Bear. He was big and burly. His brown hair was cut short, but still unruly and his brown eyes showed no emotion, except for a hint of excitement. Alex suddenly felt sick.

"I believe you know this man, Alex. You use to call him Bear, correct? Orsion works for me. I asked him to infiltrate the SAS, just for you. You should feel special. I sent one of my best people in after you." The smile on Josh face was like a slap in the face.

Alex sat in silence, keeping his eyes hidden and his face down. He had many sarcastic remarks he was itching to say, but he refused to give Josh any reason to hurt the others.

"Going to stay silent? Fine then. Orsion, please show Alex that silence will not help him."

And so the torture started. There were whips, knifes, electric pokers, and a lot of physical contact.

There were no questions, just pain. It was obvious this was just for revenge and not because they wanted information. They just kept going, whenever Alex felt himself drifting toward the peaceful darkness they would stop and give him a slap if his eyes stayed closed for too long. But as soon as they were sure he wouldn't pass out they started again.

Alex felt like they would, and could, go on forever. By the time they finally let him pass into that blissful darkness, it felt like he had been trapped in that room for years.

Josh had stood in the corner, observing quietly as Alex cried out when the pain became unbearable. They had been at it for about an hour before Alex first tried passing out. Josh would tell Orsion to back off, and whenever his eyes stayed closed longer then it took to blink, Orsion would slap him. Once Alex was able to stay awake, they would continue. After this happened three times, Alex had become silent, having lost the energy to make any noise. The occasional grunt would slip past his lips along with sobs that sounded as if they had been violently torn from his throat.

When they finally allowed him to pass out Alex’s face was wet with tears. He was black and blue all over, and the spots not covered in bruises were either burned from the pokers, or bleeding from the knife.

They had been there for little over two hours. Even in unconsciousness, Alex was in plenty of pain, and Josh couldn’t be happier. Josh waved his hand at Orsion, telling him to release the child and take him back to the cell.

Josh left the room right behind Orsion, careful not step in the blood left behind by the boy being dragged along by one arm back to his cell. He mental reminded himself to get someone to clean everything up.

They finally made it back to the room with Alex still unconscious, the shallow rise and fall of his chest the only indication he was still breathing at all. He was not going to wake up anytime soon. Orsion had not been merciful.

They entered the room with the usual bang.

 Wolf had been pacing, lost in his thoughts. He stopped mid-step at the sound of the door. Snake was huddled in the corner of his cage, his eyes staring blankly ahead, also lost in his own thoughts. The first thing Snake saw when the door opened was the bloody figure behind the man he had thought to be a team mate. Ben was the only one in the present, busy listening to John talk about anything and everything. Allowing the youngest among them forget about where they were and the horrors surrounding them.

Orsion walked into the cage, throwing Alex’s limp body in a corner before going around and opening the rest of the cage doors. He was quick to get out of the cage and lock the door before they had time to come out of the shock of his betrayal. Josh walked up to the bars, his hands behind his back and his face a mask of tranquility.

"Your punishment has been lifted. Alex on the other hand still has to endure the punishment given. If I find that any of you have given him food, the punishment will be reinstated. Your food and water will arrive shortly." With that he left.

As soon as the door had shut with its usual slam, Snake had jumped into action, immediately running to Alex. His medic instincts took over and he set to work the second he was squatted next to the boy. Snake pushed two fingers against Alex’s neck, finding a fast but strong pulse. His breathing was shallow, indicating the massive amount of pain he was more than likely experiencing.

Bruises littered Alex’s body, painting it black, blue and purple. There seemed to be a layer of blood covering most the boy’s body, and cuts that ranged in severity continued to leak blood.

John had started crying as soon as he saw Alex. A bloody body that wasn’t moving would scare anyone. The fact that John had become so close with Alex in the last few days (or was it weeks) only made the situation that much more terrifying. Wolf was quick to hurry over in order to help Snake. Ben sat with John, cradling the boy against his chest in a useless attempt to calm the boy, and keep his eyes away from Alex.

Ben felt sick. Who could do this to a child? It was barbaric. It was more than just these people's fault though, it was MI6's too. How could they hire, no blackmail, a child? They put him in danger over and over again in the hopes of getting some useless information. The people he was sent after usually turned out to be more dangerous than MI6 gave them credit for, putting Alex in more danger than originally planned. It might have been for the good of the country but it was still wrong. Nothing could make the exploitation of a child alright. The more missions Alex went on, the more enemies he made. He was no longer a child, MI6 had destroyed that part long ago. Alex acted like an adult. When his eyes were open, you couldn’t help but see the haunted look, even when he was smiling. He was good at acting and lying when it was needed, but there was no faking the look in his eyes.

It took what was probably near two hours for Snake to patch Alex up as best as he could, given the current circumstances.  Snake warned that when Cub woke he would be in a world of pain. The boy had gained what Snake could only hope were a couple very badly bruised ribs, at the worst they were broken, which could lead to severe consequences if moved around too much. The bruises that covered his body would be tender and sore, any movement would probably bring some kind of pain, and could most likely reopen any of the cuts that had finally clotted. The larger cuts, from both knife and whip, where wrapped in the cleanest cloth they could find. Wolf was still attending to one or two that needed the pressure in order to clot. Snake was thoroughly exhausted by the time he was done.

Snake had done the best he could, and that’s all they could have asked for at that moment. He had lost a lot of blood and when this was all over he was more than likely going to need a blood transfusion. For now though, the only thing they could do was try and protect him.

Cub was moved into Ben’s cell, placed on the small bed in corner, and covered with the stray jacket that had been used by John more often than not. The small rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that he was still breathing, even if it was shallow. John had eventually cried himself to sleep, cradled in Ben’s arms. His small hands still clung to Ben’s shirt, and dried tear tracks were evident on his small face. Ben held onto the small child fiercely, sure that they would not hesitate to take John next.

Snake sat nearest to Alex, ready for when he inevitably woke, prepared to hold the boy down if he woke in a panic, something that was common for those who suffered though pain in their sleep. It had been quiet for nearly an hour when Alex finally came to.

~*~

When he woke all he knew was that he hurt everywhere, but his neck in particular radiated pain.

The sound of birds caused the small headache to grow into the beginnings of a migraine. When he finally sat up, he almost fell over. It was only then that he remembered. The fight, the halls, the paint, the doors, the guards shooting at him as he sprinted toward the woods. He had escaped. He had run as long as his worn body had let him before collapsing, after climbing a tree in the hopes of avoiding detection.

Now Eagle was awake, a dozen thoughts running through his head as he took in his surroundings. The fresh air was like breathing in new life after being trapped in that damp cell. The bird calls were no longer a pain, but a reminder of freedom. The pain reminded him was alive.

‘ _And getting old_ ,’he couldn’t help but think.

When he was younger he had been able to sleep on the hard ground for days with no problem. He used to love camping, and he still did, although camping was a bit different now that he was part of the SAS. When he was younger he used to go camping with his dad and his friends, but now was not the time for a trip down memory lane.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present and the task he had ahead of him. He had to find his way out of the forest and to a phone. He needed to get his friends help. It was only a matter of time before Josh cut his losses and killed them.

He quickly jumped down out of the tree, only to stumble and fall to his hands and knees at impact. He had forgotten about the sprained ankle he had gained from trying to kick the glass door ( _a foolish stunt in all honesty_ ) and he had probably only aggravated it further when he had been running through the forest. He waited until the pain subsided before getting up, pushing the residual pain away, and began lightly jogging through the forest, careful to avoid fallen branches and roots that might trip him up.

He didn't know where he was going but he knew better than to go back the way he came. He also knew he had to hurry. Josh was a loose cannon and there was not telling what he would do to them in his anger. They were all hurt, and it would be surprising if Josh _hadn’t_ punished them already. Eagle picked up his pace with that thought in mind. The sooner he found a town, or even just a house, the sooner he found a phone.

Seeing a break in the trees ahead he tried to go even faster, only to end up back on the ground with pain radiating up his leg. With a growl Eagle pushed himself back up and limped over to the wood line.

In the forest there had only been small, dim rays of light that found their way through the thick clumps of trees, but once he broke out from under the trees he was blinded by the brilliant sunlight. It was warm against his skin, and Eagle took only a second to appreciate it before getting back on task.

Spread out in front of him was a large field. In the distant Eagle could see hills covered in more trees. The field sloped slightly downward and Eagle could only hope there was a town on the other side, or a home that would allow him to use their phone.

Eagle kept to the tree line, following along the edge of the field, hoping it would bring him closer to civilization, but able to use the trees as cover if any enemies came near.

The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was probably around noon. Eagle thanked whatever god was up there that it was not raining. The cold rain would do nothing for his already weakened immune system due the lack food and water he had to endure the past few days. That, and there was a rather long walk ahead of him. With a sigh Eagle set off at a fast walk in the hopes that what he was looking for was on the other side of the field.

~*~

_It hurt._

_Everything hurt._

He didn't want to open his eyes, afraid of what he would see. He didn't want to go back to that cell, he’d rather remain in the blissful state of unconsciousness. He bit his lip, trying to keep himself cry out as his muscles tightened and the pain flared. His pain muddled brain was able to think of only one thing, John. He was probably scared out of his mind. Alex crying out in pain would probably only make it worse. So Alex laid there, hoping that he would just fall back into the darkness that Alex was starting to see as a friend.

"Cub? Can you hear me Cub?" The voice was loud and a headache made itself known as the words bounced around inside his skull.  

"Come on Cub. Open your eyes." The voice was gentle but it was so loud. Alex felt something wet trickle down his chin. He was biting too hard, but that didn’t mean he was going to let up. There was just so much pain.

"Alex? Come on, open your eyes. Please?" No matter what was happening around him, Alex would always know Ben's voice.

Alex shook his head, eyes still squeezed shut. He quickly regretted his action as his head started pounding and he felt nausea build. Alex knew he was acting like a child, but he couldn’t seem to find it in himself to care. He had never been in so much _pain._

"Please Alex. I'm right here, I promise nothing's going to happen." Alex felt fingers wrap around his hand. Alex quickly grabbed the hand and squeezed, hoping that some of the pain would _just go away_ if he squeezed hard enough.

He felt the tears on his cheeks, stinging the cuts there, before he could even register that he was crying. _Why couldn’t he just pass back out?_

"Please Alex." Ben basically begged. Ben never begged.

A few moments later and Alex slowly, very slowly, opened his eyes. Ben's face was in the way of anything else he might have been able to see. His eyes full of concern, his body tense, ready to go after anyone that tried to hurt Alex.

The poor boy had been through so much already.

"We're going to have to keep wakening you up every two hours, just in case, okay?" It pained Ben to say it. Alex probably just wanted to sleep, but the risk of concussion was just too high. It was one of the things Snake was worried about most.

 When Ben had first laid eyes on Alex almost a year ago he had bags under his eyes. The first thing Ben had noticed when Alex had walked into the cell (only God knows how long ago) was how old his eyes looked and how dark those bags had gotten. It looked as if he never slept.

Alex gave a small nod, so small that Ben almost didn't realize he had nodded at all, and then his eyes slid shut. He was asleep in minutes, the look of pain seemed to be permanently etched onto his face, and his eyes moved under their lids in what Ben could only guess was a nightmare. Did the kid even have dreams anymore?

Ben wanted nothing more than to rid Alex of the pain he was in, emotionally and physically. He had to get Alex away from MI6 before he lost any hope of a real life, it was just a question of how.

It was almost half an hour later when the answer came to Ben. Alex was obviously in the throes of another nightmare. Slight slivers racked his body, though anyone else would probably think it was due to the cold that permeated the cell. Ben automatically began running his fingers through Alex’s dirty hair, something his father did for him when he was younger and he had a hard time sleeping. Ben hadn’t even thought about it. The effect was almost immediate as the shivers dissipated before disappearing completely. When was the last time Alex had someone there to comfort him during a nightmare?

That’s when the beginnings of an idea came to him.

"Alex was living with you guys right?"

Wolf nodded the affirmative, Snake was in a corner, entertaining John with made up stories.

"He doesn't have a guardian then, right?"

"All we know is that his guardian left him, and MI6 thought that he could use more training." Wolf gave him a look, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "You’re not think what I think you’re thinking, are you?" He asked.

"I think…I think I might try to adopt Alex." He said softly, as he continued to run his fingers through the boy’s hair, hoping that Alex might like the idea. Ben could help him navigate civilian life after so many years of spy life. Ben could try to give Alex the life he deserved.

That is if they ever got out of the hell they were currently trapped in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not trained in the medical field so I apologize for any wrong information. I researched to my best ability.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.

The sun was just beginning the set on the second day of Eagles freedom when he finally came upon a town. It was small and quaint. Holding the basic necessities of a town with a few small restaurants and a small, but useful, police station.

He had walked through one field after another, coming to the obvious conclusion that farming was a big part of what kept the town running. Eagle was tired, hungry and beyond thirsty. He had been able to find a stream during his journey, but that had been so long ago, and he hadn’t eaten in days. A small café that sat on the corner of two street looked beyond inviting, and he struggled to walk past the door that offered water, food, and warmth.

The walk to the police station was agony. His legs felt like jelly, and his ankle was swollen and sore, not having gotten the rest it deserved. He had only slept for a few hours the night before, paranoia had set in and each rustle of the leaves had made Eagle feel like there was someone right behind him. His clothes were caked in dirt. His ankle had protested greatly when he had tried to climb a tree, and therefore had ended up sleeping on the ground.

On top of all this he was full of worry, his anxiety at an all-time high as thoughts of what Josh could have done with his team ran through his mind constantly. They could already be dead for all he knew. They were definitely punished for his escape, something Eagle had only thought about after that first night in the woods. He had tried to reassure himself, telling himself that if he had not taken the chance then Wolf would have probably killed him.  

Eagle constantly questioned why he even kept going, exhaustion throwing him into fits of despair. He had to remind himself that if they weren’t dead. That they still needed his help. If he gave up when they weren’t dead, then they would most certainly be dead soon. Cub and John didn’t deserve to die that young.

Then he would push himself to keep going.

There were a few people out, and most of them stopped to stare as he shuffled by. Not that he blamed them. He knew he looked like hell.

However he didn’t have the energy to worry about some random strangers passing judgement on him when he had been through hell and back. That, and he was completely focused on trying to put one foot in front of the other.

He had looked up for only a second, trying to gauge how much farther he had to go, and then the world had started to turn. Drained of energy and too exhausted to realize what was happening until it was too late Eagle went face first into the concrete. He heard, rather than felt, his nose break. Twisting his head so he could breathe he felt the blood run down his cheek and his nose throb in pain. He didn’t think too much about it as his body registered the fact that he was in a horizontal position, and suddenly the sidewalk felt much more comfortable.

"Sir? Sir! Are you ok?" The voice came from in front of his face. Eagle cracked open his eyes to see a young girl who looked to be only fourteen staring down at him in pure concern.

He tried of lift himself up, only to fall back to the ground with a flop. There was darkness creeping into his vision. A single thought made itself known.

“My friends. They need... they need help." Then his world went dark.

~*~

The annoying beeping would not stop.

Of course he knew what it was and where he was. He remembered falling face first on the concrete right in front of the police station. He remembered everything, even the stuff he wished to forget.

That didn’t mean the beeping of a heart monitor was any less annoying.

He didn't want to wake up, he actually thought about going right back to sleep. The bed was surprisingly comfortable for a hospital, and everything still hurt, but his team mates were still stuck in that hell, and he needed to get help.

The light that assaulted his eyes was painful and he was forced to close them again before opening them back up, much more slowly this time, allowing them time to adjust and focus.

In the chair next to him sat the girl that had asked him if he was okay after he had fallen. She must have been the one to call the paramedics. She was asleep, and Eagle wondered why she was here, and more importantly how she had got in.

Eagle pressed the nurse call button and a couple of seconds later a woman that looked to be in her mid-fifties walked in, graying hair pulled back into a tight bun and soft smile on her face. She had laughter lines and her smile was genuine as her eyes sparkled. Eagle could already tell she was much nicer than the nurses back at Brecon Breacons.

"Well good morning sleepy head! How are you feeling this afternoon?" She picked up his chart and looked it over, flipping a page over after a minute. "You're looking much better then when you came in. You were very dehydrated, slightly malnourished, sleep deprived, and covering in cuts and bruises. Not to mention the broken nose. Your ankle was also swollen, but we think that it was just a bad twist. How are you feeling?"

"A little light head, but much better than before." He said with a smile before getting to the point. "I need to talk to the police. I have to get a hold of MI6. It's an emergency."

"Of course. I'll get a hold of the police as soon as I finish checking your vitals." Eagle didn't argue. It was often the kind ones that were stubborn. She was just doing her job after all, and Eagle would rather not waste more time arguing with her just because she wanted to make sure he was okay.

There was another question he needed an answer to though.

"Who is she?"

Suddenly there was a chuckle from the chair that Eagle had pointed to. Both he and the nurse jumped.

"Sorry." She smiled "I'm your sister silly, I know it's been awhile since mum and dad split but I would think you still recognize your own sister.” She smiled and something told Eagle to just go with it.

"Jeez, sorry. Last time I saw you you were only what, nine? Can’t blame me for not immediately recognizing you." It was the first thing that came to mind, so he just rolled with it, and it must have worked better than he though, because the nurse just chuckled and shook her head.

“I’ll be right back.” She said after writing something in his chart and slipping out of the room.

"Who are you?" Eagle immediately turned to the girl in the chair once the nurse was out of sight.

"Sorry, I was just worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay. It was easy enough to get in, just claimed to be your sister." She gave a smug smile before she seemed to think of something that instead replaced the smile with a frown. "I also…kind of…needed a place to stay last night."

Eagle was about to reply when the nurse came back, reporting that the police were on their way. Anything he had to say or any question he wanted to ask was pushed away as he remembered where his friends were at that very moment. The girl seemed harmless enough, and she had called an ambulance instead of letting him die on the sidewalk. She could stay for now, and then, once his unit was safe, he would try and help her.

~*~

Ben had woken up Alex approximately every two hour for the past two days, and they had only had one situation. Ben had accidently fallen asleep after staying up in order to keep Alex calm during his nightmares and in order to wake him every two hours. In the short time Ben had been asleep, Alex had ended up having what could only be a terrible nightmare. In short, he had ended up yelling out in his sleep. This had woken Ben up, who in turn had tried to wake Alex in the hopes of relieving whatever psychological torture his mind was putting him through. The problem had arisen when Alex had refused to wake, and mistook the comforting movement for an attack. Ben would later admit it was foolish of him to try and wake Alex, and that he probably should have treated it more like a PTSD episode than a normal nightmare. Ben had ended up having to pin Alex to the floor to keep him from hurting himself, and with Snakes help they had pulled Alex out of his nightmare.

To Alex all the days seemed to blur together. Dreams and reality began to blur and sometimes he had to consciously try and separate what was real from what was not. He slept most of the time, a growing concern to Snake, who tried to comfort everyone (including himself) with the thought that it was just his body trying to recover from the abuse, much like someone recovering from a cold.

Wolf, on the other hand, grew more worried over the fact that no one had come back to take one of them. The more time that passed, the more Wolf would paced and mutter to himself.

Two days later Alex woke complaining of hunger and a dry throat. They couldn’t do a thing. True to his word Josh has allowed them food and water (though it was barely enough to survive on), but after an hour whatever was left was taken away. When Snake had once tried to keep water for when Alex next woke, Josh had threatened to take John next. Snake had hung his head and handed the water over, only to have it thrown back in his face. Josh had left with a smirk and the echoing words _‘what a waste.’_

Ben had eventually gone from waking Alex every two hours to every hour, gaining Snakes growing concern about the massive amount of sleeping Alex was doing. Ben began to worry that at some point, Alex wouldn’t wake up at all.

With everything that was happening (or not happening) everyone’s emotions were running high. If Wolf wasn’t pacing the cell, then it was Snake. Ben was always at Alex’s side, and when he had to sleep, Snake would take his spot. Wolf had taken to keeping John occupied as much as possible, telling him stories, having John tell him stories, drawing in the dirt on the floor. Anything to keep his mind off what was happening around him.

At one point, when John was sleep, and Alex had just gone back to sleep after being woken by Ben. Snake stood pacing the length of the cell. Wolf sat in a corner, John’s head in his lap, eyes following Snakes path. Snake had been at it for almost a half hour before Wolf finally broke.

"SNAKE! Will you please sit your ass down before I force you?" It came out as a low growl, conveying his anger, but keeping the volume down so as not to wake John, who shifted in his sleep.

With a dirty look thrown Wolf's way Snake sat down, basically collapsing with his lack of energy. None of them got much sleep between the constant worry of when Josh was coming back, and the concern for Alex’s health.

"You do the same fucking thing.” He hissed back before deflating and sagging against the wall. “I'm just worried. Don't you think Eagle should have found help by now? I mean, it's been almost four days." Thanks to his worrying Snake had grown an ever present headache. Wolf however, had gained a headache from listening to Snake worry. Of course Wolf was worried, but there was only so much a man could listen to before becoming annoyed. Wolf had to have hope that Eagle had found help. Without hope he didn’t have much else to keep him going.

"We are all worried, but the best thing we can do for now is help keep each other alive. Especially Cub over there." Wolf looked over at the child who was still sleeping. It wasn't the best sleep in the world due to nightmares, where they were at, and all the pain he was probably in, but it was sleep all the same. "I would love to know what gives him such horrid nightmares. What has that kid been through that causes him to have a nightmare every time he so much as closes his eyes? I mean Point Blanc was a one-time thing right?"

Wolf had told his team about seeing Cub at Point Blanc not long after he had returned. He hadn’t given them full details, not wanting to completely ignore the Official Secrets Act, but he wasn’t just not going to tell his unit about seeing their unofficial fifth team member almost get killed.

“Fox, you’re MI6 now, you gotta know _something_ about Cub.” Wolf looked over at Ben following Snakes statement.

Ben sighed before turning to his team mates, he trusted them with his life, but he wasn’t going to ruin the little trust Alex had placed in him. "You guys know I trust you, but Alex’s life isn’t my story to tell. That’s something you’re going to have to ask him yourself.  Just know that Alex has seen a lot more than anyone his age should have to see. You have to be understanding when he’s cold and distant. It’s how he’s lived for a few years now.” Ben paused, looking up at Wolf and Snake. “Just know that he out ranks everyone in this room, and there is a reason for that.”


	15. Chapter 15

"Everyone listen up!" Eagle looked out at the crowd that stood in front of him. It had taken three days before they had finally released him from the hospital. He had been kept for observation, making sure his ankle had in fact only been twisted and not broken. He was also kept on an IV drip for nutrients and hydration. Eagle hated the feeling of a needle under his skin and had complained the whole time.  

MI6 had come the day after he woke up.  The day after that back up arrived. That day had been spent in Eagle’s hospital room, drawing maps and making plans to retrieve his unit. Once Eagle was discharged the plans would be put into motion.

Today was that day and Eagle was in charge.

"Team A you’re going in first, make sure to stay quiet! We don't need to spook them. If that happens they might be able to move our people before we can find them. Team B will be following in behind. Team A will protect our front while Team C protects our backs. Team B! Our main priority is to find the prisoners. This is a big place and I have only a very vague idea of where they are being kept. We also have to keep in mind there might be more prisoners than just them. Once everything is under control, Teams E and F will sweep the building while A and C help keep things on lock down.”

"Team D! Your main priority is to gain control of the building. Find out where the guy in charge is and take him down. Once he is gone you should be able to gain full control of the building. Everyone know what they are doing? Any questions?" Silence answered back.

“Ask now men because if we fail we'll be in hell for a long time!" Still no one said a word.

"Alright then. The helicopters should be here soon. They will be dropping us in a clearing about 5 ½ miles from the building. We have a long walk ahead of us so be ready!"

Eagle walked away from the crowd as they began to talk amongst themselves. Those who knew Eagle took a moment to point out how different he had become. The Eagle most of the men knew was light-hearted and funny. Of course he knew when to be serious, and when he came back from assignments the man could be quiet for a few days, but never had they seen him so cold and distant.

It was, of course, understandable. Knowing that your unit (your family) was being tortured while you were safe was something that changed a man’s demeanor. A few of the men had even been in his position before. It was not an easy one.

"Eagle!" Eagle jumped at the sound of his name. He quickly swiveled around to see Maria. Her brown hair pulled up into a tight pony tail while her bangs hung into her face. She had somehow gotten ahold of a uniform, and Eagle couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time Cub had come to Brecon Beacons. The uniform hung from her small frame, the red converses standing out from the combat boots that were normally worn with the uniform.

"Maria? What are you doing here? I though MI6 had arranged for you to be flown back to my flat?" During the few days he was in hospital Eagle had really gotten to know Maria and vice versa. Maria lived on the streets. Well, she had. She had grown on Eagle much like Cub had grown on Ben. Eagle had surprised her the morning of his release by allowing her to come live with him back in London. She should have been taken back to his flat earlier that morning. Apparently she had decided to make a change of plans.

Maria shrugged, mumbling something along the lines of 'it would have been boring'. Eagle smiled, shaking his head as he turned back to the map of the surrounding area of the facility K-Unit was being held in.

"You know you won't be able to come with. You're just going to be stuck here when we leave, and it’s going to be just as boring."

"Not really. I'll be staying with your friends in the van." Maria smiled. She had been able to charm her way into being allowed in the van when everything went into action. She would be able to listen to the conversations between the teams, and once the building was under control they would be able to gain CCTV access to see everything as well. She would be well informed while in the van, and she would be able to make sure Eagle made it out alive.

Eagle ruffled her hair, something he had quickly learned she hated. He laughed as she flipped her head upside down to pull everything back up into a ponytail. The glare she gave Eagle afterwards vaguely reminded the man of a bunny. She would have stood no chance next to Wolf.

"EAGLE!" Someone bellowed. Eagle didn't need to turn around to see who it was, he was quite use to the voice considering the past four years had been spend with the man yelling at him. Eagle automatically turned around, standing at attention as the sergeant hopped out of a Jeep that slowed just enough for the sergeant to jump out before going to park. "At ease solider."

"What's up Sarg?" Eagle asked as he relaxed.

"You ready? The helicopters are on their way for pick up. Once they pick you guys up your own your own. We'll have back up ready but they won't arrive for almost an hour after you call. There is no going back once you get on those helicopters." The Sergeant looked Eagle in the eye, resting a hand on his shoulder. Eagle couldn’t help but be reminded of how much was currently resting on his shoulders.

"They're family Sarg. I can't leave them there. I’ve mapped out all I know about the building and I know the general area they're in. I _have_ to do this." He knew the Sergeant would understand, he had once been in a Unit. Most units ended up becoming family. It was inevitable when you were forced to spend almost every day with them.

The Sergeant sighed letting his hand drop to his side and for a split second Eagle could swear the Sergeant aged 20 years.

"Alright then. Get your men ready." Eagle nodded. Just as he started to jog away the Sergeant voice stopped him.

"Eagle! Good Luck. You'll need it." Eagle let a small smile of gratitude slip onto his face before it disappeared as he turned back to the task at hand. It was almost time.

"Alright men! Helicopters are almost here. I want everyone loading up as soon as they land, got it?" There was a loud chorus of 'Yes sir!' and Eagle turned back to look at the map once more, committing it to memory.

He was going to get his friends out or die trying.

~*~

The silence in the cell had been suffocating while the two youngest slept. Wolf had been less than happy to be told he wasn’t going to learn anything from Ben. Snake had been much more understanding and after a few hours he had managed to make Wolf come around as well.

Alex was still in and out of consciousness. He was beginning to stay awake for longer periods of time, but he was still weak.  After a few days Alex had been allowed water, although Josh continued to restrict his food. Snake continued to worry. Alex was very dehydrated at this point, and the little water he was allowed to have would do nothing to help rehydrate him.

Ben was dreading today. The guards had told them that they would be returning to ‘their regularly scheduled programing’ soon. Meaning Alex was going to be tortured. K-Unit was terrified. The small amount of progress Alex had had was going to be completely destroyed. Yesterday he had actually tried to get out of bed, though he had not gotten very far. He had ended up on the floor half way to K-Unit, who had been asleep at the time. They had woken up to his scream as he landed rather harshly on his battered torso.

Right now Alex was asleep, Ben right by his side. He hadn't left Alex alone since he had tried getting out of bed. He had barely slept since, worried Alex would try getting up again. Ben rested his head on the bed as he sat on the floor, eyes concentrated on Alex’s face as he brushed his fingers through the boy’s hair. 

Wolf was pacing by the door, something he had been doing all day. Snake sat in the corner eyes flicking between Alex and Ben, and Wolf. Snake found himself unconsciously watching the rise and fall of Alex’s chest as he slept, reassuring himself that he was still alive. John was currently sleeping in Snakes lap, seeing as everyone else was either moving, sleeping, or hovering over the sleeping. Snake had somehow ended up being John’s comforter once Alex was out of commission. The small boy always seemed to be touching Snake in some way.

Everyone was on edge. It had been almost a week since Eagle’s escape. Alex was still in bad condition and things weren't looking any better. They were all losing weight, becoming weaker with each meal they missed. Eagle should have been able to find help unless he had gotten lost in the woods, or had been captured without them knowing. They were slowly losing hope with each passing day. Ben was the worst, he couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong and if Snake didn't know any better he would have said that Ben was slowly going insane. Snake, being the medic, guessed that Ben was falling into depression. Honestly, they all were. Snake also worried about John, who was becoming smaller than was healthy for his age range. Every time they got a 'meal' Snake gave his to John.

After hours of tension; hours of Ben staring at the sleeping Alex while Snake switched between watching them and the pacing Wolf, the doors banged open with more force than they had heard in a long time.

Wolf stopped pacing, turning to face the door, body blocking the entrance into the cage. Snake jumped up to join Wolf in keeping who ever tried to come through out. John was placed on the bed next to Alex, the boy quickly latched onto Alex’s hand. Ben stayed where he was, sitting straighter, becoming fully alert as men filed into the room. Alex’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the door, but he barely bothered to move once he knew what was going on. He let his eyes slip close, drawing in deep breaths as he listened.

"Hello boys! It's been a while. How have you been? Don't answer that because the truth is I don't really care." Josh smirked as if he had said something vaguely amusing. "Time for things to go back to normal. Sorry about the past week, I've been busy dealing with...things." He grimaced and Snake held back his smile. Eagle had caused a lot of trouble.

"Anyways, I have to talk to Alex. He seems to be asleep at the moment but that's okay, I'll get him to wake up one way or another. Move aside please. I've gotten some new toys that I won't mind testing out on you." A glance at the guards showed that Josh wasn’t joking. Wolf had seen a cattle prod or two in his time, and the sleek black design of these hinted to their high end nature. High end instruments usually meant much more pain.

Slowly Snake and Wolf moved aside but hovered over Alex, ready to attack at one wrong movement.

The guards must have known not to push their luck. They grabbed Alex and quickly walked out of the cage, the boy stumbling along with them as he struggled to get his feet under him.

"I'm glad to see you boys listening to me. Now we'll just get going." Josh smirked once more as he turned on his heels to leave.

"I swear to god, if he dies because of you I will make sure you die a very painful, very slow death in a hole filled with horrible things." Wolf growled, grabbing onto the bars of the cage, trying to get in Josh's face as much as possible.

Josh rolled his eyes before leaving, the guards carrying Alex following behind him obediently. The door slammed and it felt like a piece of their hearts were bring ripped out.

Wolf went back to pacing, muttering very graphic ways to kill Josh and his men, as Snake went back to his corner. Ben held a crying John in his arms, rocking back and forth trying to calm the destressed child. Ben couldn’t help the dark thoughts that flitted through his mind.

Alex was all Ben had left and Ben was all that Alex had left. They had become close in the last few month, and neither could afford to lose the other. Ben vowed to quit MI6 the minute they were free.

And he was taking Alex with him.  

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own anything you recognize.

Alex was dragged along behind the guards, unable to hold himself up. Not that he cared. What was a few more scratches from a concrete floor? He couldn’t keep a steady hold of consciousness and he caught himself drifting more than once. One second they were in the cage, in the next they were headed down a blindly white hallway. Another blink and Alex found himself in a room, being placed on a cold table. Josh talked from point A to point B. Alex didn’t catch a single word.

The cold table was startling at first and he found himself finally able to come back into the moment. The cold seeped into his ruined back, canceling the heat that came with infection. For a second Alex felt everything. Including the lack of restraints.

That was their first mistake.

Josh saw Alex as having no energy and almost no hope. For the first time Alex Rider was completely hopeless. Everything about the situation he was in was hopeless.  If Eagle had found civilization, he should had saved them by now. In Alex mind Eagle was long gone. He had either fallen prey to the elements or Josh’s men had caught up to him and killed him. Eagle was dead.

Josh continued to talk, but Alex paid no mind. Thinking and waiting. There was a reason he was brought here. Josh wasn’t just going to talk at him. The man was sadistic. Alex was weak and hopeless, but he was still human. He would still feel large amounts of pain and he knew that Josh planned on inflicting just that. Eventually the guards turned him over, and Alex braced himself.

The first strike was agony. The scream that tore out of Alex’s mouth left his throat raw. There were so many old wounds on his body and several had just reopened. Each whip would reopen more, until Alex’s back was left as nothing more than a bloody mess.

Josh used the whip like a paintbrush. He even acted like a painter. He calculated each strike before cracking it across Alex's body. Blood poured from his wounds, new and old alike. Each one hurting worse than the last.

Alex moved to curl into himself. An instinct that he had yet to rid himself of, but the pain that came from stretching the wounds almost made him vomit.

Josh continued on, moving back and forth between the whip and the knife. Eventually Alex’s throat gave out. He couldn’t scream and he was only left to whimper and moan at each slice through skin. He was to dehydrated to cry.

Black dots started dancing across his vision. Time seemed to pass slowly, drawing out the pain. How long had he been here? Months? Years? Whatever it had been, time had not been kind to him.

* * *

 

The helicopters dropped them about ten miles away from the base. They had a long walk ahead of them but they needed surprise to be on their side. Walkie-talkies were as low as they could get without being muted. There were few reports of enemies as they silently made their way through the terrain.

They had the most highly trained soldiers on their side, but Eagle couldn’t help but worry. Josh’s men were well trained and they wouldn't hold back. Everyone who had signed up understood that there was a risk of them losing their lives, but they cared for others more. K-Unit was well-liked. Many knew that they would do that same for anyone else. The details they we allowed to give them about Alex had infuriated many. Quite a few had children of their own.

When they made it to the base almost two hours later, two armed men stood outside the front door, talking, their assault rifles leaning against the building just out of reach. They laughed and Eagle smiled. They were unaware of the assault that was about to happen to their building.

His men stayed hidden, waiting for the signal. Eagle gave a single nod. There was the soft hush of a noise suppressor and the men in front of them flopped lifelessly to the ground. With another nod they headed in. The second they crossed the tree line time became limited. Just because there was no visible cameras did not mean they were not there.  

Once they entered they began to split, each going a separate way they had been told. Eagle lead his team down the hallway that he was almost positive was the one that he had come from when he had made his bid to freedom. The secretary had been taken care of quickly. Not killed, but detained before she could raise the alarm.

The hallway was long and blank, a few doors appeared every now and again, but otherwise it was relatively empty. Eventually though, they came to a break. Two separate hallways. The left was short and lead to a single door. The right lead to a stairwell that only went down.

Eagle would have led his team down the stairs, if it was not for the noise coming from behind the door.

* * *

 

Alex had come to a decision. It would either save them all, or kill them all. Josh liked to monologue; it was one of his downfalls. Everyone thought Alex was down for the count. That he was too injured to do much of anything. It wasn’t total a lie. Everything hurt, but if there was something Alex had gotten good at during this hellish life, it was pushing past the pain for a last minute escape.

Except this escape wasn’t for Alex. It was K-Unit. For John. For all the innocent that had lost their lives for Alex.

So he fought back, bringing his fist up to connect with Josh’s nose. He stumbled back, hand cupped around the hurting appendage. Alex tumbled off the table, landing on the floor with a loud thump and pain flaring across his back. His arms shook as he dragged himself up from the floor. He made it to his hands and knees before a shadow cut through the light and a foot connected with his stomach.

Josh stood above Alex as the boy curled into himself. His mouth was covered in the blood that continued to sluggishly flow from his slightly crooked nose. Josh’s breath was coming in pants, his face red from anger.

"You really though now would be a good time to fight back?” He wiped at the blood with his arm, smearing it across his face. "You’re an idiot, Rider."

Something in the man seemed to have snapped and suddenly Josh was on top of Alex, raining down punch after punch. He had never caused pain with his own hands. It was usual a knife or the whip. There was the occasional punch or slap to get Alex to shut up, but nothing like this. Alex could barely defend himself.

Each hit was worse than the last. It took a few seconds before Alex was able to find the energy to push the larger man off of him. Josh fell back into table holding the various knives and other devices for torture. He laid on the ground, knife scattered around his prone body.

Alex propped himself up on his elbows his breath coming in shallow pants as he struggled to get a full breath. He was starting to wonder if Josh had somehow been able to get a knife in his own back, when the older man finally moved, charging at Alex, ten times madder than before.

Alex didn’t realize Josh had a knife until it was in his stomach. He gasped, pain flaring in his chest as Josh proceeded to pick the teenager up and throw him across the room. His back hit the opposite wall, and Alex saw stars.

"I'm stronger than you Rider. It doesn’t matter how many missions you go on, or how many skills you learn. You’re still just a boy. You can barely save yourself. How are you supposed to save anyone else?"

Josh looked down at Alex. The room was in ruins with tables over turned and various weapons scatter across the floor. Everything hurt and Alex couldn’t help but wonder why he had even bothered. Where did he think this would get him? Tears sprang to his eyes. Josh was right. Alex was only a boy and he couldn’t do anything right.

"No one cares about you. No one! Those soldiers back in the cage don’t care. Your caretaker didn't. But you know what hurts you the most? The fact that your uncle didn't care. The fact that he trained you for this and didn't care enough to think of how scaring this would be for his own _nephew_. The fact that he didn't care enough to think about whether this was something you wanted. He just didn't care. Did he?"

"Please...stop." The words were worse than any physical torture. “Please." Alex’s voice cracked as tears fell from his closed eyes.

"What's the matter, Alex? Can't handle the truth? Or is it because you already knew, you just didn't want to believe it?"

Josh kneeled next to Alex, bring his mouth to his ear he whispered, "You’re lucky I'm merciful."

Josh yanked the still protruding knife from Alex’s stomach. A broken scream was ripped violently from Alex’s throat.

"I'll give you a choice Alex. You can either bleed to death, or I can put you out of your misery. The only catch is either way you chose it will be in front of those lousy people you call friends. It's up to you, but pick wisely. I'll be back for an answer in a few minutes. I just have to go freshen up." Josh stood, picking up a towel that had been thrown to the floor with the knife. He wiped the blood from his hands before throwing it down next to the curled teen. He turned to the door with a smirk on his face.

He pulled it open, only to come face to face with a very pissed off SAS solider.

One silenced shot later and Josh was gone forever.

Eagle surveyed the room quickly. His eyes immediately falling on Alex, curled up in a corner surrounded by the remains of a table with various tools scattered across the floor. Tears coursed down his face, his eyes tightly squeezed shut and his body curled in around his abdomen. He didn’t even realize he was being rescued.

Eagle covered the space between them in seconds.

"Cub?" Alex only flinched, curling into himself even more. "Cub, it's alright. He's gone, you're safe." Eagle voice was soft but sure, trying to reassure Alex that what Eagle said was true. Eagles hands fluttered over the boy’s body, unsure of how to proceed.

Alex didn't move. Josh had succeeded. Alex was broken. Eagles anger rose with each passing second that Alex didn’t respond. Josh didn’t deserve such a quick death.

"I'm gonna pick you up now, okay? So we can get you out of here." Eagles voice was soft. After a few tense seconds Eagles saw the smallest of nods, the only movement Alex had done since they had entered the room.

Gently, Eagle scooped Alex up, holding the shaking boy to his chest, careful of the bleeding wound in his stomach. Once standing Alex gripped onto Eagles shirt so tight his knuckles went white. Alex didn’t know what was real anymore. He had lost any hope of rescue so long ago that he could only believe this was all a dream.

The other soldiers had gone to stand guard once the room had been cleared. They had all been part of rescue missions before, some had even been on the receiving end. The rule was, if someone knew the party being rescued, they were the ones to bring them out. To many unfamiliar faces could lead to a panic attack. So they stood guard while Eagle collected the kid from inside.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life as they waited.

“We have four out of five. They say the last one was taken some time ago, keep your eyes and ears open for five. We’re leading the group out now.”

There was silence for a second before another team responded.

“We have gun fire. Stay out of hall 8. I repeat stay out of hall 8.” Everyone had studied the building blueprints well enough to know a least one detour around each hall. Luckily Hall 8 had several.

Eagle stepped out of the room, not soon after. The boy looked smaller than any of them thought healthy and the violent shaking racking the small frame was definitely a concern.

"Someone radio the others and let them know we have Alex and are headed out of the building.” While one soldier did as told, another filled Eagle in, letting him know that the others had been found and were currently headed out.

Now all they had to do was get out of there and return to base. Ambulances would be waiting for them there.

As luck would have it, at the last corner, trouble found them. Guards from the compound came around the corner down the hall just as they did, blocking the last few feet to freedom.

The fire fight was quick, Eagle’s men responding faster than the other. Eagle went back around the corner, shielding Alex from any stray bullets that might have come their way. In a matter of minutes, it was over. A few of their own men had been hit, but they waved off concern and carried on.

Josh's men were not as lucky.

They made their way over the bodies, turned the last corner and made the final stretch through the lobby door and out into open air. The rendezvous point wasn’t far and when they finally arrived all the teams stood ready and waiting.

Now they just had to blow the place up and get home.

"Everyone placed their bombs?" Eagle looked across the large group all of whom were giving the affirmative. Eagle looked over at Lemur who held the detonator, waiting for the okay. Eagle gave a curt nod and Lemur pressed the button. There was a distant boom and Eagle knew that they were safe.

It was only a matter of time before the others found Alex and Eagle. It was also only a matter of time before Alex would suddenly deteriorate.

Both things seemed to happen at once.

Ben burst through the men, pushing people out of his way and shoving anyone who tried to hold him back. Wolf followed close behind with Snake bring up the rear. John had been handed off to another solider before they had gone in search of Alex, to scared of what kind of state they would find the teen in. John did not need any more reasons for nightmares.

Just as Ben burst through the line, Eagle felt Alex’s grip loosen. His face was pale and his skin was cold.

Then he was coughing and blood bubbled over his lips.

Ben seemed to freeze at the sight. Eagle looked over at Snake, his face pleading him to do something.

“We have to leave. If we want to save him, we have to go right now.” Snake pushed at Ben, who stumbled forward nodding dumbly as Eagle moved ahead.

Wolf took command. In minutes the men were moving faster and more organized than Eagle would have ever been able to. Wolf was quick to swipe someone’s walkie-talkie, radioing ahead for the helicopter and making sure ambulances were at the ready for when they landed.

The walk was only a few short minutes, as the helicopter was able to land closer to the compound. Eagle couldn’t help but worry that those were critical minutes that could either save or kill the boy in his arms.

They loaded into the helicopter as fast as possible. Eagle continued to hold onto Alex, afraid that letting go meant that Alex would also let go. The trip was silent. K-unit huddled around Eagle and Alex, Snake doing anything he could to help Alex survive. John was safely asleep in the arms of another solider. The exhaustion of the past few days had finally caught up and he had fallen asleep on the walk over to the helicopter.

Ben looked like he was close to breaking. He watched Alex chest rise and fall. Making sure that he was alive. Terrified if the rise didn't immediately follow the fall, which happened often. Alex’s breathing was jagged and shallow and Eagle could only guess at what that meant.

Wolf kept a close eye on Ben. He held an irrational fear that Ben would fall apart. That he would go mad and start yelling and screaming. Wolf didn’t want to lose Alex either, but if they did lose him then Ben would take it the worst. If they lost Alex, then they would lose Ben too.

Snake was in medic mode. He couldn’t afford to think about ‘ifs.’ He had a job to do and that required him to think in the moment. His right hand stayed firmly on Alex’s wrist constantly monitoring the too weak pulse. He had someone pressing a bandage onto Alex’s abdomen wound as Snake looked at the various other cuts and bruises. Looking for broken bones and signs of infection.

Once they landed Snake and Eagle were the first out, rushing Alex over to one of several waiting ambulances. Snake relayed all the information he could to the paramedics who jumped into action, loading Alex and setting to work immediately, hooking him to machines and assessing the various injuries scattered across his body.

Eagle had to argue with Ben about going in his own ambulance before Wolf came over and gently guided Ben over to the other waiting paramedics. Wolf nodded to Eagle, before turning back to Ben. Eagle hopped in the back of the ambulance and took hold of Alex's hand as the ambulance took off.

Then Alex flat-lined.


	17. Chapter 17

The paramedics became frantic, shouting at each other about ‘cardiac arrest’ and ‘hypovolemic shock.’ Eagle felt his heart drop. Alex couldn't die, not when he had finally been rescued.

  
The defibrillator was brought out and the paramedics went to work on restarting Alex’s heart. It took three tries and when it finally came back the paramedics said it was too fast. It happened once more before they finally made it to the hospital. The doctors meet them halfway and immediately more medical jargon was thrown around. Eagle stood in the door of the ambulance and watched as Alex was wheeled away.

  
Eventually, the driver came around and gently guided him inside and into a chair. The driver went and talked to the receptionist and Eagle watched as Wolf, Snake, John, and Ben were all wheeled in one by one, less frantically than Alex had been.

  
Wolf was, of course, arguing with the medics, claiming he could walk. One paramedic looked slightly frightened when Wolf started threatening lives. Eagle was able to see that the usual fire wasn’t there and Wolf looked like if he tried standing up he would fall right back down.

  
Snake was quiet. Answering questions that were asked and telling them the worst of his injuries. He’s mind was elsewhere however. Preoccupied with worry for everyone but himself. It was normal for the team medic. Sure he took care of himself (he wouldn’t be much use if he was sick or injured) but Snake was always worrying about everyone self.

John was wheeled in next. He was curled under the blankets and his thumb had found its way into his mouth. The doctors were quiet as they looked him over. Trying their best not the wake him.

  
Ben was the last one to be wheeled in. His skin was white and the only thing on his mind was making sure that Alex was alright. The man was probably in shock, but the paramedics knew more than Eagle did and he trusted them to take care of his friends.

  
It was an hour before Eagle could see anyone.

He was allowed to visit Snake first and not long after that Wolf wheeled himself into the room growling about nurses not allowing him to walk by himself. Snake just shook his head and told the man to stop acting like a child. White bandages peeked out from the back of Wolf’s dressing ground, and Eagle noticed how the man didn’t sit back against the chair. Snake had a few bandages decorating his own body. His wrists were completely wrapped and there was a lump where his ankle was meant to be, indicating a brace containing a sprained ankle.

"Wolf quit being such a child. They didn’t baby you, the treated you like any other patient. And any other patient with wounds as extensive as yours would be confined to a wheelchair.” Snake sighed, hoping Wolf would get the hint that this was not what Snake wanted to be talking about.

"Any news on Alex and Ben?" Wolf asked, turning to Eagle.

"I've heard nothing on Alex condition but he flatlined twice on the way here. He had a heartbeat when they brought him in, but I haven't heard anything since.” Eagle ran a hand through his short hair. A habit he had as a kid that only seemed to resurface in great times of stress.

"What about Ben?"

"I think he was in shock when they brought him in. He was really pale and I believe he kept saying Alex's name." He paused before remembering they had another much smaller member that had also been brought in. "Oh and John is fine. They just don't want anyone disturbing him. He's been sleeping."

"That makes sense. None of us got much sleep...there...especially, John." Snake was picking at his nails; a nervous habit he had had for as long any of them could remember.

There was silence. No one wanted to broach the topic of what had happened in that compound. Thankfully they were saved from any such conversation raised voices came from outside at the nurse’s station.

Snake and Wolf jumped as something hit the ground with a loud bang. The voice stopped for a second before the younger female voice started apologizing profusely.

With a sigh, Eagle got up from the chair he had just gotten comfortable in. He had a theory as to who it was. Said theory was confirmed as he opened the door to find an apologizing Maria and an irritated nurse that was cleaning up the mess from a tipped over a cart.

"I am so sorry, but I need to find a man from the SAS. He should be here, but he's not in the waiting room, and I’m really worried. I really am sorry, just please help me find him."

Eagle stepped up behind Maria, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk in place.

Maria turned at his presence, an embarrassed smile on her face. "Hey... What's up?" Before Eagle could answer, her smile disappeared, replaced with a deep frown. "Where did you go? You were supposed to meet me back at base but no one told me anything. I was lucky to know you guys even got back!"

Wolf rolled out of Snakes room. Only to start laughing as Maria continued to rant at Eagle. The sight of a small teenage girl, yelling at a relatively large SAS soldier, was not a sight that was seen everyday.

Eagle smiled and let her rant. They had become close over the week Eagle had spent recovering. She had kept him company in the boring hospital. She also kept him feed, sneaking in food from nearby fast-food restaurants.

She ended with a huff, continuing to look up at Eagle.

"I was afraid you were going to get hurt." Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to fall.

He looked down at her a smile on his face, before opening his arms. She fell into them without further prompting.

"I hope you realize that you sound like my mother." He said gently.

She laughed before finally letting go.

Wolf had gone quiet and was now just staring at the pair, eyes squinted in confusion.

“Wolf meet Maria. Maria this is Wolf. Don’t let the name or face fool you. He’s really a big softy.”

"It's nice to finally meet someone from the team. I've heard a lot about all of you. I'm happy to see you're all right." Maria said as she held out her hand for Wolf to shake. Wolf took it, looking up at Eagle with the mention that he had talked about the team.

It was definitely something to talk about later.

"Is there anyone else I can meet. I know you were going to rescue five people. There has to be more." Maria's eyes sparkled with curiosity. She knew quite a bit about the team, including how Snake's accent got heavier the angrier he got, and how Wolf would act childish if forced to sit still for too long.

"This is Snakes room right here, actually." Eagle stepped into the room only to find Snake watching some children's T.V. show with bored eyes, pointing out everything unrealistic with it.

"That's the point," Maria interrupted his grumbling. "Making it unrealistic helps keep children young and innocent. Keeps their imagination going and their belief in Santa and the Easter Bunny real." Maria smiled as she took the empty chair by Snake bed. "I'm Maria. You must be Snake. It’s nice to finally meet you. Eagle says you’re the mother hen of the group."

Eagle looked at Maria questioningly. "Did you happen to find the coffee machine? I only remember you acting like this that one time you found the coffee machine."

"Right around the corner. This coffee's much better than the other hospitals." She smiled as she talked, seemingly to forget that she was still a little bit mad at Eagle for keeping her uninformed.

"Eagle, is this your long-lost sister or something? She seems to act a lot like you after having caffeine or alcohol." Wolf scowled as the girl started bouncing her leg.

Snake couldn't help but laugh. Everything was okay. They had finally been rescued and were getting the care they needed. Eagle was safe and sound, while Wolf was acting like a child all because he couldn't get up and move. Everything was good.

It was short lived.

A nurse knocked lightly on the door before walking right in.

"I'm looking for Matthew Jacobs.” With a single sentence, everyone went quiet.

Stepping forward Eagle declared, "I'm Matthew, but please call me Eagle."

"Ben Daniels is awake and asking for you." She said almost completely ignoring Eagles request.

"Of course, what room is he in?"

The nurse gave him the room number and showed him what hall to take before rushing off again.

Eagle's mood sobered as he entered Fox’s room. Ben was looking down at his blanket, fiddling with a loose string. He too was covered in bandages.

Eagle had barely made it past the door frame before Ben was throwing questions at him.

"How's Alex? It's he okay? Where is he? Please tell me he's okay?"

Eagle covered the room in two steps. "Whoa, slow down there buddy. One at a time please."

"Sorry. How is Alex? Have you heard any news?" Ben finally looked up and Eagle could tell he was close to breaking down.

He contemplated lying so he didn't have to worry Ben, but with a sigh, Eagle told him the truth. "I haven't heard anything. He's probably in the operating room right now. He..."

Eagle hesitated, scared that he might push Ben over the edge, but finished his sentence anyway "He flatlined a few times while we were on our way here. He had a heartbeat when they brought him in though!"

If it was possible Ben got paler "What about everyone else? Are they okay?"

"Everyone else is okay. Wolf is complaining. One of the nurses won't let him out of the wheelchair. Snakes got a bit of a concussion but they said it was nothing too serious. John is sleeping in his own room. No one's allowed to visit him because the nurses want him to get as much sleep as possible. It's not a question of if he's going to have nightmares, it's when they're going to start." Ben seemed to calm a little after hearing everyone else was still alive. "What about you? How are you doing?"

Ben sighed, running his hands down his face, before resting them where his neck and shoulders meet.

"I'm fine. Small concussion, sprained wrist and a lot of cuts and bruises, but I'll survive." Ben leaned back in his bed closing his eyes.

"Get some sleep, you look like you could use it." Eagle raised from the seat he had fallen into, making his way to the door before Ben could argue.

Ben mumbled some unintelligible respond before Eagle slipped out of the room, heading for the coffee machine before going to the nurse’s desk.

"I was wondering if I could get an update on Alex Rider?”

"Are you related?" The nurse didn’t even look up. Eagle always hated that question, he usually ended up lying, the never took 'friend' as an answer.

"I'm his brother."

The nurse looked up, a skeptical look on her face. She was tired though and really could have cared less. She pulled up the files without asking for id.

"Well, he's still in the operating room, but should be out soon. He had some internal bleed and had lost a lot of blood. He had multiple lacerations, a few broken ribs, an extremely sprained wrist and ankle, and a broken arm. They are finishing up as we speak. He should be in a room in the ICU in about half an hour. They're worried about his concussion and he's flat lined one too many times. They want to make sure he hasn't got any brain damage, but all in all they think he should make a good recovery."

Eagle muttered a quick thank you before going back to Snake’s room. They all turned to look at him as he entered, Snake and Wolf asking the same question. "How's Ben?"

"He's fine. Small concussion and a sprained wrist, but nothing really life threatening. He seems exhausted though.” Eagle flopped into the chair near the door, limbs sprawled out awkwardly.

Snake nodded, taking the information in and filing it away I his mind. As medic of the team, he had past injuries of everyone filed away in his mind.

Wolf nodded. "So when he can he come visit? Can we go visit him?"

Eagle shook his head. "The doctors only want one at a time, he's still a little shook up from...everything."

They all nodded and everyone was quiet until Maria put her feet up on Snake’s bed.

"Will you keep your feet off the bed!" He yelled as he pushed her feet off before she and Snake started laughing. "Eagle tell your little pet to keep her feet of the bed." He was whining again.

Eagle rolled his eyes while Maria took offence to being called a 'pet.'

"Listen here buddy! I'm not a pet, besides I'm not the one with an animal name!" She immediately shut up when Wolf gave her a glare only Cub could beat.

That was the only interesting thing to happen for the next hour. They sat in Snake’s room, quietly chatting while the T.V. played a movie none of them had heard of. Maria fell asleep in her chair, her feet once again propped up on the bed.

The nurse from the desk came in an hour later, announcing that Cub had finally been moved to a room, but had yet to wake up. They were happy to learn, however, that John had woken up and Ben was currently visiting him.

Eagle got up, telling Snake he would be back later, Wolf had fallen asleep soon after giving up with Maria's feet and so Snake was left to watch T.V. in peace.

Eagle walked into John's room. The little boy was propped up in bed, animatedly talking to Ben about a T.V. show that was on. His blue eyes sparkled, his hair gave off a healthy shine, and his skin was pale but clean.

Ben laughed at something John said, listening contently, looking the closest to happy they had seen in weeks.

Eagle cleared his throat, earning the attention of both occupants of the room. They both visibly relaxed once they recognized who it was. They were all going to need a lot of therapy after this.

"Eagle!" John all but squealed, making both men chuckle. John jumped up, standing unsteadily on the bed, trying to get to Eagle. Ben held him back, keeping him from ripping out his IV. Eagle quickly walked over to the bed and once he was close enough John tackled him with a hug.

"Thank you! You saved us! You're like a superhero!"

Eagle laughed at John comparison, setting him back in the bed. A smile was still on his face as he suggested that John tries to get some more sleep.

"But I'm not tired." His answer was quickly followed by a yawn. His face reddened as he admitted defeat. "Okay, maybe I'm a little tired."

The older men chuckled. Ben pulled the blankets up around the child and turned the T.V. off as he stood to leave.

“Wait! Don’t leave me!” John gripped at the blanket, eyes wide and terrified.

“It’s okay. We’re going to be right back. You’re safe now, okay?” Eagle bent so he was eye level with John. It wasn’t fair that such a young boy should be so scared in a place where he should feel safe.

John nodded and Eagle stood, ruffling a hand through the boy’s hair.

“Do you want us to stay until you fall asleep?” Ben’s voice was gentle.

John gave a soft nod, looking down at his blankets as if embarrassed.

Ben gently moved the boy over, sitting on the bed. John curled into his side with little hesitation.

“Want to hear a secret?” Ben whispered. Eagle moved back toward the door, turning the lights down to a more comfortable glow as he waited for Ben to work his child magic. He always seemed to have a way with children that the rest of the unit struggled with. Ben knew what the needed, Eagle guessed sometimes even before what the children themselves needed.

John nodded, face still buried in Ben’s side.

“Sometimes I don’t like falling asleep by myself either.”

It seemed to have the desired effect, John giggled.

“But you’re an adult. You’re supposed to sleep by yourself.”

Ben shook his head. “Sometimes, after something scary happens, it’s hard to be by yourself. Just remember, that sometimes, even adults need help. It’s not a bad thing, okay? So don’t be afraid to ask.”

John looked up, eyes droopy, but understanding.

“Okay.” He said. Another yawn overtook him and John dropped his head back to the pillow.

* * *

  
The hospital was quiet. Eagle and Ben had found their way to a coffee station. Ben leaned against the counter, a large black coffee wrapped in his hands as Eagle dumped sugar and milk into his own cup.

“John’s family should be here sometime tomorrow." Ben’s voice was soft, and if the hallway had not been so quiet Eagle would have missed what Ben had said.

“Any idea as to why he was taken?” Eagle asked before taking a sip of his coffee, grimaced and then proceeded to dump more sugar into his cup. A nurse passed by, her pace brisk as she looked at the clipboard in her hand. She didn’t even glance at them.

"Jones came in to talk to me earlier and I asked the same question. Turns out his father is an agent for MI6. He was undercover in Scorpia, trying to collect intel. They figured out he was a spy, they didn’t know who for exactly, but...” He trailed off. He took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “If wasn’t until after he was pulled out that Scorpia figured out he worked for MI6. A couple months later his dad went to pick him up from school. John wasn’t there. Scorpia took him, planning on sending his father pictures, mentally and emotionally torturing the father while physically and mentally harming the child." Ben explained with a blank face. K-Unit called it the ‘Spy Face.’

"So they took the kid as revenge? That's just messed up." Eagle shook his head, he hated spy politics.

"John’s father quit MI6 and I think they plan on moving to the states. Start a new life." Ben watched as Eagle tried his coffee once again, and when there was no grimace, he pushed off the counter and started down the hallway. Eagle was quick to follow.

"Don't blame them," Eagle mumbled as they came to Snake’s door. Maria’s feet were propped up on the bed again, but it seemed Wolf had found something else to argue about.

"It obviously Ten! David Tennant was amazing! He was good-natured but stern when he needed to be. The new Doctor throws all worry out the window. He’s pretty reckless if you ask me."

"How dare you insult Matt Smith! His Doctor makes things interesting, you never know what he's going to say. He is anything but reckless he's constantly worrying about his companions. Matt Smith portrays the Doctor beautifully, and his doctor brings an element of wonder that Tennant couldn’t compete with."

"Sounds like Wolfs got a man crush," Ben said, making everyone burst out laughing. Wolf glared, throwing daggers with his eyes, which only pushed Ben to laugh harder.

When they finally calmed, smiles on their face and Wolf in the corner pouting, Snake took the opportunity to burst the bubble of happiness.

"Alex is out of surgery. He's going to make it, but the doctors have him in the ICU and he's going to be here for a while. He's still asleep, but he is allowed to have one visitor at a time."

Ben stared at Snake, "How long have you known this?"

"We only just found out before you guys walked in." The room had gone quiet the mood immediately diminishing.

After a few minutes, Eagle spoke for everyone. "Go ahead Ben. We'll all be here when you get back." Eagle gave him a gentle smile all but pushing him out of the door.

* * *

  
The halls were quiet and the only sound he heard was his own footsteps. Slowly turning the corner, he found his destination. Room 415 was tucked away in a corner, hidden by shadows. The blank white door was closed and a small window allowed almost anyone to look into the room. A curtain was hung around the bed, keeping the patient hidden.

The door was silent as Ben opened it. Ben couldn't help but think of how alike the room was to its patient. Quiet, hidden in plain view but still hard to find. It was almost funny.

Any hilarity the situation held before was gone as soon as he saw the small body on the bed. No child should be covered in the many bandages; no child should have to be hooked to that many machines.

The heart monitor showed his heart beat as normal, a mask covered his face helping him to breathe. A brace held his wrist still and bandages snaked around his chest, covering the many cuts hidden underneath. Needles were stuck in his arm, IV and morphine being pumped into his system, keeping the pain at bay, and giving his body some much need nutrients.

The problem was that as soon as he woke he would still be in pain. MI6 didn't want him to become addicted to anything and so the pain medication wasn't as high as it should have been.

Even in sleep Ben could tell he was in pain, a grimace was firmly planted on his face.

As the anesthesia wore off Ben could see nightmares start to plague him. Small groans of pain and movements of defense gave him away. The signs were small, barely noticeable, but Ben knew the nightmare was the opposite. Alex was a spy. Any spy knew how to sleep with little movement or sound. Ben hated that Alex knew the same things any good spy knew. He should have to know those things. Ben grasped the hand that was not wrapped in a brace. Maybe if he knew that someone was there for him it would help. Alex might not think he deserves help, but Ben was going to be there to give it to him anyways.


	18. Chapter 18

Alex woke to the soft beeping of a heart monitor and lots of pain. The only thing not normal about waking for this hospital visit were the voices. Both spoke in low monotones, and though they were quiet one voice would occasional raise in what Alex could only guess was anger. The heart monitors beeping kept sending spikes of pain through Alex’s head, each worse than the last. He groaned, trying to turn in the bed in the hopes of getting comfortable, only to have his arm snag on something. He blindly felt for whatever was restraining him. Someone gently grabs his wrist, pulling his hand away from whatever was attached to his arm.

"Come on Alex. Don't mess with the machines." The voice was familiar, but the pain in his head made everything fuzzy. "Now, how about you open your eyes." Alex did as asked without complaint.

Blue eyes met Alex's brown ones and the face and voice clicked together, finally forming a name in Alex's head. Ben.

"Where I am?" His voice was rough, his throat felt like sandpaper. Alex took in his surroundings automatically registering all possible escape routes, before actually releasing where he was. A hospital.

"We're at St. Dominic's. We've been here for almost a week. Most of us were released yesterday. Wolf's the only one still stuck here, but he's getting out tomorrow." Ben looked at Alex, his bandages had just been replaced and were almost glowing in the dim room. "How much do you remember?" Ben didn't really want to ask the question, but they needed to know.

Alex breath hitched at the reminder of everything that had happened and he whispered "Everything. Josh…he was mad, very mad. He…he…the pain. It hurt so much. I…I thought I was going to die. He stabbed me and threw me across the room…I was sure I was dead." Alex paused, the memories coming back slowly, one by one. "Eagle, he saved me, right? It was Eagle? But it hurt…God it hurts." Alex didn’t notice the change to present tense, too busy swiping angrily at the tears falling down his face. It didn’t escape Ben’s notice, however.

"Alex. Alex, look at me." Ben pulled Alex out of his memories, gently wrapping his hands around the boy’s wrists to pull them away from his face. Slowly Alex complied "You’re okay. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I promise." Ben felt his heart break as Alex started sobbing. Moving from his chair, Ben sat beside Alex on the bed, pulling him into a hug, trying to calm him as he continued to sob, unable to stop.

Alex would later blame the pain meds for the outburst. Ben would blame MI6.

An hour later Alex lay asleep head leaning on Ben’s shoulders. Tear tracks stained his cheeks. Ben ran his fingers through the soft locks of hair, staring off into space. They had all been scared from their time in the cell, but Alex was going to need as much help as possible. It had scared Ben when Alex had started crying. In every mission they had gone on with each other he had never seen Alex cry, even when he had broken his leg, he had just used Ben as a crutch and had carried on. Alex was hard to break; that had been obvious from the day they meet. Ben was scared. What if Josh had broken something in the boy? What if Ben was too late to save Alex?  It was going to be a long journey but Ben hoped that Alex would be able to come back from this.

Ben was snapped out of his thoughts as four voices stopped outside of the door. "EAGLE! You are not a rabbit now stop bouncing." Wolf had finally been allowed to walk and was using every excuse to get out of bed. This time, it seemed he had dragged the rest of K-Unit along with him.

The door was violently opened as the three members of K-Unit enter arguing over who knew what. Alex grumbled in his sleep, his brows coming together in aggravation at the loud noise that had just pierced the once quiet room. Ben quickly threw one of the stuffed animals Snake had given Alex. The small stuffed seal bounced off Wolf’s face and onto the floor, effectively silencing all three men. Wolf glared at Ben, mouth opening to yell. A stuffed eagle smacked him in the face before he had a chance. Ben sent all three men a glare. Wolf’s mouth snapped shut. Snake and Eagle seemed to be having trouble containing their laughter. 

K-Unit took seats around the room and silently watched the sleeping boy.

Snake was the first to break the silence, "Have you told him yet?"

"Not yet. The doctor asked me to see how much he remembered before anything else."

“And?” Wolf asked.

"He remembers everything. I have no idea what happened in that room, but…Alex…he…" Ben shook his head. "He's got a long road ahead of him." He whispered.

"Do you think he'll ever tell us about what happened before this whole thing?" Wolf asked as he watched Alex shift slightly.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't push it. He had been through a lot. Even before this happened." Ben continued to answer the few questions that K-Unit threw at him.

It was an hour later before Alex started to stir. His eyes slowly opened and he took in the new people in his room. Ben had moved at some point and now stood beside the bed.

"Good morning sleepy head." Ben gave a small smile, which Alex hesitantly returned.

"Hey, Cub!" Eagle's voice was softer than Alex ever remembered hearing it. His chair sat close to the foot of Alex’s bed. "How you feeling?"

Alex answer was blunt and to the point "Like hell." His voice was gravely, his throat and mouth were dry. Ben handed him a small cup of water, which was quickly finished off before silence fell over the group. 

"Eagle.” The man in question looked up, meeting Alex’s eyes. “Thank you. For saving me." It was soft, almost a whisper, but Eagle knew it was sincere.

Eagle nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips before a thought came to mind.

“I'm sorry it took me so long. I should have been there sooner." His smile promptly disappeared.

"Don't be, I survived didn't I?" Alex yawned as he tried to reassure Eagle, and even thought Eagle didn't feel reassured, he wasn't going to argue with a sick kid, besides that he had only really come to see how he was doing. He had a lot of paperwork he needed to get started on if he was wanted to be free when everyone was finally released. 

"I gotta go. Sorry. I have to finish my paperwork, but I'll be back in about two hours."  Eagle stood, stretching his limbs and ruffled Alex's blonde hair before making his leave with a little wave at the door.

Alex felt his eyes growing heavy and he fought to keep them up as K-Unit continued to talk about T.V shows and the growing piles of paperwork they would eventually have to confront. Ben, the guardian angel that he was, noticed a losing fight when he saw one. He managed to convince Wolf and Snake to head out. They left with good-byes and promises to be back later.

The door softly clicked shut and Alex descended into sleep.

Ben watched as Alex's eyes closed and the ever present mask slipped away.

Ben himself hadn’t been getting much sleep. The first few days for Alex had been iffy and Ben had stayed up watching the heart monitor. After that, he hadn’t wanted Alex to wake up without someone there and awake to explain and keep him calm.

Alex waking up had been a blessing, and in the excitement that Ben had felt to see the boy's brown eyes, he forgot to mention the adoption. It had taken a lot of legal gymnastics and fighting with MI6, but Ben had finally handed in the completed forms yesterday.

Ben was officially Alex’s legal guardian.

Ben had no idea how Alex would take it, but there was no going back now. Ben hoped that Alex would like to come back and live with him in his flat. But even if Alex was unhappy with the idea at least Ben had gotten Alex out of the hands of MI6. No matter what Alex wanted to do, Ben would not allow that damned organization to get their hands on Alex ever again.

 A violent yawn broke Ben’s train of thought. Looking out the window he saw the dim glow of the sun having set below the horizon. The moon had climbed high in the sky, indicating the late time. Leaning back, Ben let himself relax for the first time in weeks. His eyes dropped and the man quickly fell into a light sleep.

* * *

 

Alex woke to a dark room. The heart monitor continued to beep away in the corner. Ben sat beside his bed like a faithful dog. His head laid at an awkward angle that was sure to leave a crick in his neck when he woke. Alex couldn’t help but be thankful that Ben was still there. It was nice to have a familiar face in a sea of invading doctors.

The door to the room had been left slightly open, a sliver of light from the hallway coming in through the crack. The need to get up and explore washed over Alex. Sitting up a pull on his inner elbow reminded Alex that he was bed bound and that standing was probably not the best idea right now anyways. Falling back against the pillows he released a sigh. He hated being trapped in bed, especially with nothing to do. He looked to the bedside table, hoping for a book of any kind, but only found a glass of water.

Then Ben began to snore.

_What kind of spy snores?_

The snores slowly grew into mumbles, which evolved into a few words that Alex was able to catch.

"…Blunt…sorry…no…service." Connecting the dots, Alex guessed Ben was talking to Blunt. Though he had no idea how no and service were connected. 

"Alex…my son…goes." Alex’s mind jumped to one hopeful conclusion for this sentence. One answer that Alex’s mind seemed to be having issues computing.

Was Ben dreaming about Alex being his son? No that it could ever happen. It just wasn't possible. MI6 would never allow. _Blunt_ would never allow it.

Ben continued his mumbled conversation but Alex was too busy fighting the rising hope to try and make sense of any of it.

_Could Ben really adopt me? Where does Ben even live? Would Ben really be willing to adopt me? Would MI6 leave me alone? There is no way Ben could really adopt me._ A whirlwind of thoughts paraded through Alex’s mind. It took another hour before sleep stole him away once again. His dreams filled with thoughts of a home and family.

* * *

 

Ben woke to the sun shining brightly through the windows. Sitting up pain shot through his neck as it protested to the angle he had slept in. Alex lay in the bed beside him, fast asleep.

The dream, or rather the replay of a memory, from last night was still fresh in his mind. The argument he had had with Blunt about Alex had been long, but Ben had held his ground and eventually Blunt had left in a huff after officially losing his ‘best agent.’

The door to his office had slammed open, banging against the wall. It had been the only day that Ben had left the hospital. Blunt stormed right up to his desk, laying his hands on top of the paperwork Ben had been filling out.

"I don't know what you're playing at Agent Daniels but I advise you to _stop_ playing this instant." The words were whispered but Ben could feel the venom in them.

"Mr. Blunt, sir. I really have no idea what you're talking about." Ben rose from his chair and stood to face his superior. The door had been left open. A few people were peeking out from their own office to see who dared challenge the head of MI6.

"You adopted Agent Alex Rider. Without my permission." Blunt’s tone had returned to normal, but Ben still heard the anger beneath.

"Well, Sir. I didn't realize I had to have your permission to adopt Alex." Ben was calm as he talked, taking up Blunt's usual exterior of being completely unaffected. More people had gathered in the hall to watch the showdown.

"He is my agent, Daniels. I don't know what you were expecting to gain from this. As soon as Alex is released from the hospital I will be sending him off to Russia." Blunt’s lips twitched as Ben's mask began to slip.

"Sorry, but no Mr. Blunt. He is no longer at your service." Ben's words were harsh.

"He is legally my agent. He does what I say." Blunt knew he was losing the war. If Alex had a legal guardian, then that was who said whether Alex worked for MI6 or not.

"Well, he is legally my son. What I say goes," Ben lowered his voice to almost a whisper, "and I say no."

Blunt’s eyes narrowed. "I will make sure you never find work. Without a job you won't be able to provide for Agent Rider. He will be back in MI6’s care in a matter of months. You forgot who you are messing with Daniels." Blunt turned on his heels to leave only to come face to face with Mrs. Jones.

"Mr. Blunt, I’ve been looking for you. You have a meeting with the Prime Minister regarding one Alex Rider." Jones' face was one of professionality. Though Ben was able to hear the smirk behind the words. Blunt straightened his suit as he reclaimed his usual demeanor.

“I suggest you all get back to work before you find yourselves without a job.” The usual noise picked up as Jones and Blunt walked down the hall toward the elevator. It was as if nothing had happened.

Ben had been told the news later that day. The Prime Minster had been furious to find that MI6 had been using Alex so carelessly. Blunt had been fired and Jones had been promoted.

It had only been a day later that Jones had come to the hospital to check on Alex’s progress. She had also informed Ben she had no intention of ever using Alex again. Ben himself would only have up to three missions a year, all of which would be of low risk.

“Alex has lost so much already. I plan on making sure he doesn’t have to lose anyone else.” That had been the last thing she had said before leaving.

All that was left was for Ben to give Alex the news.

He rubbed a hand across his face as Alex slowly woke. His eyes fluttered open, a grimace crossing his face at the bright light. It took some time before Alex seemed to notice that Ben was watching him, a small smile on his face. It had been a good night.

Alex hadn’t wanted to wake. The dream he had been having was nice. He didn’t want to face the reality that Blunt would probably never allow anyone to adopt him, let alone Ben. Looking over to see if the glass of water was still there, Alex instead found Ben watching him with a small smile.

“What?”

“No nightmares?”

Alex felt his face heat, though why he was embarrassed he had no idea. It wasn’t like Ben could see how instead of nightmares last night he had been blessed with dreams of a normal life.  Alex then remembered Ben’s own mumbled dream.

“None actually. I think I had a nice dream for once. What about you?” Alex smirked. “You talk in your sleep by the way.”

Ben choked on air. What had he said?

“It was more of a memory than a dream. What did you hear?”

Alex shrugged, “Just a few words really. My name. Blunt’s name. Something about a son.” Alex seemed to become sad at the thought.

“Well, what do you think it was about?” Ben was rather curious to see what conclusions Alex had come to.

“I’m a spy, not a detective. I gather the intel. I don’t figure out what it means.” Alex deadpanned and Ben couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright. Well how about I start with some good news. Blunt is no longer head of MI6. He has been fired and Jones has taken over. That being said, you are no longer employed by MI6 and are free to live as much of a normal life as possible.”

Alex took in the information, but he knew there was more. He was waiting for the ball to drop. The extra deal that came with this freedom. The bad side to all this good news.

“Okay, but there’s more isn’t there. Something I have to do. Some last mission or something, right?”

“God, no!” Ben was quick to reassure the teen that he was done.

Alex's eyes narrowed. “But there is something else. What aren’t you telling me, Ben?”

Ben felt sick. All the negative reaction that Alex could have to the idea of Ben adopting him floated across his mind. He pushed it all away, took a deep breath.

“What would you say if I adopted you?”

Alex blinked. Ben sat, knee bouncing in anxiety, waiting for a reaction.

“Thank you.” The words were whispered.

Ben speed into a full explanation. “With me as legal acting guardian, MI6 can’t bother you. And if you don’t want to stay with me then that’s fine, but I mean I do have an extra bedroom. You can go back to school if you want. Jones already said she would keep me home as much as possible though some missions can’t be avoided. They would all be low risk of course.” Ben paused and finally looked at Alex as if just digesting his words. Looking at the boy Ben noticed the soft smile. “Thank you?”

“Yes. I would say thank you.”

Ben couldn’t help the relieved laugh that broke from his lips.

Alex couldn’t help but feel as if maybe he would survive all of this. As long as he had someone like Ben around, he would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last official chapter. Stay tuned however as I plan on writing an epilogue. Thank you for all your support and feel free to leave me a comment on any thoughts or feeling you have about this. Thanks for being along for the ride. It's been fun to revisit some of my old work and rewrite it so that is better matches my standards today. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have!


	19. Epilogue

“Alex?”

“In here!”

It had been a little over eight months since Alex had moved in with Ben and while things could be a little tense or awkward at times, Alex found that he and Ben worked almost as well as he had with Jack. Though no one could ever replace Jack. Ben had taken to office work well, while Alex had a little more trouble re-adjusting to school. His instincts didn’t take well to sitting in classrooms all day. As the months wore on Alex found himself becoming more and more content with life. His anxiety still flared on various occasions, but his therapist had been working with him once a week and slowly Alex was becoming adjusted.

Ben came around to stand in the doorway of the living room. Alex lay sprawled across the couch, the TV playing a sitcom. School books and worksheets lay across the coffee table.

“Did you finish your homework?” Ben dropped his bag in the doorway, moving into the kitchen for a cup of tea. The first time a conversation like this had occurred Alex had laughed aloud at how ridiculously normal it all was. Now it was routine.

“Mostly. I need some help with my maths, but other than that everything is done.” Alex turned the TV off, following Ben into the kitchen and grabbed a banana out of the fruit bowl.

“That’s fine. We can do that when we get back. Are you still up to going tonight?”

“I guess.”

“We don’t have too. We could always order in and watch crap telly if you want.”

“No, it's fine. I really do want to go, it’s just…” Alex trailed off, unsure how to voice his nervousness. His psychologist had told him he needed to start voicing his feelings more, especially if he was uncomfortable. Something about spying having messed with his ability to say what he was actually feeling rather than what he thinking he should be feeling. “I guess it’s the first big group thing I’ve been to.”

Ben made a noise, acknowledging that he was listening, but continued to make his tea before taking a seat at the table. Alex automatically sat across from him.

“Like, the first big group thing ever, or the first big group thing since….” They still didn’t know what to call what had happened to all of them. They each had a different name for it. Ben usually didn’t name it at all, just letting his sentence trail off. Alex wondered what his therapist would say about that.

“Ever, really. Ian never took me to any big group things. I’ve gone to some of my old friend’s birthday parties, but this is different than some middle school birthday party. I don’t know. I guess I’m just nervous to see everyone all in one house on one day.” Alex fiddled with the banana peel, ripping it into thinner strips before peeling them away from the fruit entirely.

“Would it help if we get there earlier? That way you can adjust slowly as everyone shows up?”

Alex shrugged as he tore a piece of banana off before eating it.

“How about this. We’ll go early and see how things are. If it becomes too much at any time you let me know and we can go home, okay?” Ben stared pointedly at Alex. There had been one too many occasions where Alex hadn’t alerted Ben to being overwhelmed. It had not ended very pretty. PTSD was not a nice thing to deal with.  

“Alright.”

* * *

 

Eagles house was much larger than was needed for a single man and his adopted daughter, but it made for a great time when everyone wanted to get together. Alex and Ben arrived an hour before anyone was supposed to arrive. Maria and Alex took the new dog, who Eagle (also known as Ethan) had so ironically named Wolf, outside to play. Ben and Ethan sat on the porch probably comparing notes about their newfound parenthood.

“So how are you really doing?” Maria was sat on Wolf’s other side, scratching behind his ear after running around playing something vaguely like tag for almost half an hour. The dog was really nothing like his namesake.

Alex shrugged. “Ben had a mild heart attack the other night when I woke screaming from a nightmare, but you know.”

“Okay. But how are you adjusting? When you had first moved in you told me you felt like running. What about now?”

Another shrug. “The feeling is still there. It’s not as strong, but it’s definitely still there.”

Maria sighed. “Same. A couple weeks ago I almost left. I had packed a bag and everything. But at the last minute, I couldn’t do it. It’s just…. Ethan is so nice sometimes that I have no idea how to deal with it.”

“Ben is great! I mean he’s almost as good as Jack was, but sometimes he tip-toes around me like I’m gonna break into a million pieces with one wrong step.”

“I think he just doesn’t want another flashback. You should have heard Ethan trying to calm Ben down that night. The man was almost hysterical until Ethan threatened to call David.”

Alex was still getting used to K-Units real names, so it took a few seconds before he remembered Snakes real name was in fact, David. Then he gave a soft laugh. “A call to David can be pretty threatening, especially when it comes to health.”

Maria laughed with him.

“Nothing will beat that time that David threatened to send James back to the ER and when James gave his infamous ‘Wolf Glare’ David told him that his, and I quote: ‘big scary puppy eyes will not work on me.’ The face that James made had me in stitches.”

Alex joined Maria in her giggled until they were both laughing hysterically on the lawn. It took a few minutes before they were able to calm down. The sky was blue, soft clouds drifting across and blocking the sun every now and again.

Maria broke the silence.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but after everything, you really do deserve to be happy Alex. I appreciate everything you’ve done to save our country, but it’s time for you to be happy.”

It was Alex’s turn to sigh. “The worst part is I agree with you. It just after so many years I learned that good things can’t last. I guess I’m just scared that the moment I get comfortable everything will be pulled away from me.”

“No one is going to let that happen. And if anyone tries they’ll have to fight me.”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh at the image of little Maria trying to take on some of the scariest men Alex had faced.

* * *

 

Wolf, or James, was the next to arrive. A duffel swung over his shoulder and a 12 pack of beer in hand.

David arrived only a few minutes after James. Two small children jumped out of the back of his SUV, running straight to the backyard to a waiting Wolf who tail was wagging at a dangerous speed.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought my niece and nephew. My sister got called in. Apparently, there was a pile up on the highway and they needed the extra hands.” David’s whole family seemed to be involved in the medical field. His sister was a nurse at a nearby hospital. His mother and father had both been surgeons at another.

Ethan laughed. “The more the merrier!”

Alex felt his stomach turn. Something must have shown on his face because Ben’s hand landed softly on his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze.

Alex took a deep calming breath, before going over and introducing himself to two small children.

The day progressed nicely. The house was big and Ben had told Alex that if he needed to Ethan would let him use his room to calm down. Maria had also offered up her own room as a quiet sanctuary, but Alex felt fine overall. There had been a small bump in the road when Snakes niece had fallen and scraped her knee. The scream she admitted had made Alex jump and Ben had to pull him into the hallway and instruct him to breathe, but other than that, everything was fine. Maria and Alex stayed in the backyard with the dogs for most of the evening. Around six Ben called them in.

“Alex! Someone is here to see you.”

Alex already knew who it was. It was common knowledge not to surprise the ex-spy, but he did his best to act surprised when John came through the doorway.

There was a screech that vaguely resembled Alex’s name before a small body threw itself on Alex. It was quiet for a second as Alex tensed and Ben stood straighter ready to intervene if something went wrong. Alex took a breath, forced himself to relax, and picked up John, who didn’t seem to notice the slight tension.

“I’ve missed you!” John tucked his head under Alex's chin, his arms wrapping loosely around Alex’s neck.

Alex laughed quietly. “You saw me last week.”

John popped his head out, face serious. “But so much has happened since then. Like, Jo, you remember Jo right?” Alex nodded. “Well, Jo got a new cat and she brought it to school with her. Miss. Marie wasn’t very happy. And then, Kevin started sneezing and…” John continued talking, stories of classmates and things his parents had done over the past week. Not a single detail was left out.

Alex enjoyed this time. Hearing about John’s problems helped Alex forget about his own. Of course, his psychologist would chastise him trying to forget his own problems rather than trying to face them head on, but sometimes Alex couldn’t help it. It was easier said than done.

As John continued to talk on. He didn’t seem to notice that Alex wasn’t paying as much attention as before. The house was warm and full. Ben was talking with Karen and Chris, and John’s parents seemed to be filling Ben in on how John was doing with his therapy. Ethan was wrestling James for the last beer while David and Maria were taking bets on who would win.

Everyone was safe and everyone was happy, and in the end that all that Alex really wanted.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the absolute end. I'm sorry the epilogue isn't really up to par with my standard writing, things have been stressful lately, but I'm still relatively happy with it so that all that really matters. Thank you to everyone who has been following this or has read this. Rewriting this has been a long journey and this story holds a soft spot in my heart as it was my first ever fanfiction. The Alex Rider fandom was what got me into writing and I have grown so much since I started and that really showed as I was going through this. Thank you to all of you who has supported me. I hope you all enjoyed and feel free to leave me comments about anything at all, they always make me day so much better. Now I'm off to bigger more original projects. See you all on the other side!


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